Report reaching DGN Online indicates that the Ghana Education Service (GES) has rejected the contract extension for the Deputy Director General in charge of Management Services Anthony Boateng.
Mr Boateng was recently given a contract extension allegedly spearheaded by the Education Minister, Osei Yaw Adutwum after two previous contracts expired last month without consulting the GES Council.
Sources close to the Education Ministry indicates that despite the deputy director general’s exceeding retirement age, he is being propped up to be made the Director General since the current DG is said not to be in the good book of the minister.
However, the Ministryin a statement explained that Mr. Boateng’s expertise is needed to improve the education sector and that the contract extension is not against the law.
Some four teacher unions have also disagree with the decision of the government and asked Anthony Boateng to decline the contract extension.
The teacher unions that made the call were the National Association of Graduate Teachers, Ghana National Association of Teachers, Teachers and Educational Workers Union and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers.
In a statement, the unions called on GES to direct all persons past their retirement age to hand over their posts to the next in line.
However, responding to the issue, Deputy Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Education, Yaw Opoku Mensah said the government is not obliged to heed to the union’s calls.
“Within this critical period, we need experienced hands like that to be able to ensure that you carry out the reforms that are needed for the betterment of our education system.”
“Within the legal provisions and without expertise, nobody within the system questions his ability to finish what we started together,” he said.
The decision for Anthony Boateng’s contract extension was made at the request of the Minister for Education.
During the period of extension, he will continue his current role and assist in the development of the Ministry’s National Education Institute.
By Vincent Kubi