The downgrading and shortchanging scandal that has hit the teaching professionals across the Colleges of Education in Ghana—following the recent upgrade of the Colleges and the migration of tutors onto the traditional universities’ salary structure—will go down in history as one of the worst demonstrations of injustice and inhumane treatment ever perpetrated against teachers in the Fourth Republic.

CETAG, PRINCOF, and the Ministry of Education, institutions that should wield the power to confront the “monster” undermining the rights of teachers and destabilising the academic calendar, appear to be watching on with folded arms, hoping the situation resolves itself while students continue to suffer.

I intercepted a communiqué released by PRINCOF following their 25th annual conference, in which they expressed concern about the impact of strikes on academic activities in the Colleges. I acknowledge and commend their genuine appeal (as captured in item 4 of the communiqué) urging stakeholders—the Government, GTEC, and relevant agencies—to resolve outstanding issues and end the recurring CETAG strikes. PRINCOF also called on the National Labour Commission (NLC), GTEC, the Ministry of Education, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education, and civil society organizations to support mediation efforts. A collaborative, transparent, and empathetic approach is indeed necessary to permanently resolve the disputes in the Colleges of Education sector (PRINCOF, 2025, p. 2).

While I appreciate this passionate appeal, I am deeply saddened by their prolonged silence on the role they themselves could have played in addressing these issues—particularly the plight of downgraded staff (Principal Instructors). It is a fact that principals are the immediate representatives of the employer within the Colleges, and they are fully aware of the indispensable work and contributions of Principal Instructors in their various departments. Indeed, without the service of these downgraded staff, many Colleges could not function effectively.

Beyond their core teaching responsibilities, the downgraded staff —who form the core of the teaching staff in terms of experience and knowledge—perform the duties of any lecturer or assistant lecturer. They supervise project work, micro- and macro-teaching, serve as academic counsellors, take part in residential marking, lead Teacher Professional Learning sessions, participate in professional development workshops, serve as HODs and hall wardens, sit on boards and committees, supervise students’ journals during STS, contribute to item writing programmes, and more.

It is also crucial to note that PIs mentor newly recruited teachers, to the extent that some core topics can only be handled by them due to their expertise. Does this not clearly prove that they perform the same duties as Lecturers and Assistant Lecturers? Why, then, should there be disparity in payment for equal work?

Ghanaians need answers from the regulator, Prof. Abdulai Jinapor:

Which legal provision allows for the retrospective enactment of a law?

If Principal Instructors are deemed unqualified, will you revoke the certificates of the teachers they trained—teachers whose livelihoods depend on those very certificates?

Are you prepared to trigger the redundancy act so these staff can be compensated and allowed to go home if their services are no longer deemed necessary?

Could you publicly publish the policy you are using to regulate the Commission, and identify the body that formulated those policies?

Can you assure Ghanaians that all principals currently serving in the Colleges of Education are themselves qualified under the new policy regime?

Is it true that special concessions have been granted to library staff, and if so, which clause in your policy permits such treatment?

Are you aware that some principals have unilaterally reclassified some teaching staff as non-teaching staff so they can benefit from book and research allowances? Which law sanctions such actions?

It is evident that the downgrading of PIs is not based on any law or precedent, but rather on an individual’s personal vendetta—a punitive attempt to target a section of CETAG members for embarking on a prolonged legal strike that allegedly affected the December 7th elections. While GTEC claims that certain categories of staff were given concessions to cushion the effects of migration, those given the strange Principal Instructor Rank were instead downgraded, seemingly to “teach them a lesson” or push them to early graves.

I urge President Maxwell Bunu and his council members to keep the flame burning and remain resolute until justice is achieved. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.”

In the same spirit, I emphasize that there will be neither rest nor tranquility on the CETAG front until Principal Instructors are rightfully placed. The whirlwinds of resistance will continue to shake the foundations of CETAG and our Colleges until the bright day of justice emerges.

— CONCERNED DOWNGRADED CETAG MEMBERS