Accra, Dec. 14, GNA - Teachers in basic and junior high schools, in Accra on Monday started the much anticipated sit-down strike as announced by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) last week to demand better conditions of service and unpaid allowances.

Most of the teachers who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said government had not been fair to them especially regarding prompt payment of their allowances to ensure effective teaching and learning.

Mrs. Alisha Asiamah, a teacher at the Bishop Girls Basic School, said although they were embarking on their sit-down strike it would have been more effective if it had started at the middle of the term.

"With that the children would really feel its effect and then inform their parents about it and government would also take a look at their proposals," she said.

Mrs. Asiamah said even though the school had completed its examinations the pupils would not receive their reports since the teachers were not ready to mark the papers until GNAT gave them the "go ahead".

Mr. Justice Worae, a Mathematics teacher at the school, said teachers had been cheated for far too long and it was time GNAT "stood on its feet and fight for what rightly belongs to them".

He noted that although the strike was in the right direction, he had a problem with the leadership of the association as to why they had waited for so long before taking this action.

"We have not received most of the allowances which we are supposed to=

get especially our colleagues in the remote areas who have volunteered to= go as a result of the promises by government," Mr Worae.

Mrs. Agnes Oppong, Headmistress of Bishop Mixed Junior High School, said the teachers were going about their normal duties by ensuring the students write the terminal examination despite the call by GNAT for its members to embark on the strike. She said they had not been informed about any strike and until that was done, teachers would continue to work.