The Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union of the Trades Union Congress (TEWU of TUC Ghana) has called for greater recognition, improved working conditions and adequate support for non-teaching staff to enhance quality education delivery in the country.
Ms Salamatu Mahamah Braimah, the National Chairperson of TEWU of TUC Ghana, said non-teaching staff played complementary but critical roles in the education sector and deserved respect and recognition for their contributions to the effective functioning of educational institutions.
“Without the non-teaching staff, the teacher cannot function effectively,” she said and stressed that cleaners, security personnel, cooks, administrators and other support staff were essential to the delivery of quality education.
Ms Braimah made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of the 33rd Annual National Conference of Directors of Education (CODE) in Bolgatanga.
She urged education directors and management of educational institutions to prioritise the welfare of non-teaching staff and ensure strict adherence to their conditions of service.
She said the conditions of service, agreed upon and signed by the Ghana Education Service (GES) management and the union, constituted a legal document that must be respected.
“One of the issues is that they try to reduce our weekdays, which is contrary to the provisions that we have in our conditions of service,” she said, calling on management to comply with the agreed provisions.
The National Chairperson expressed particular concern about the working conditions of cooks in secondary schools, saying many were overstretched because of inadequate staffing and poor kitchen facilities.
She said some cooks worked from as early as 0300 hours until 2200 hours, a situation she described as stressful and unsustainable.
“The cook is very, very important. In fact, the cook is as important as the housewife in our various homes, because if the cook does not cook, it means the student will not eat,” she said.
She explained that students who did not receive meals could struggle to concentrate and learn effectively, underscoring the importance of improving the welfare of school cooks.
Ms Braimah said many school kitchens were poorly equipped, with some institutions still relying on firewood for cooking, exposing workers to smoke and other potential health risks.
She attributed various health conditions reported among some cooks, including hypertension, diabetes and cancer, to the difficult working conditions, although the claims were not independently verified.
She called on the Government to provide modern cooking equipment and improve kitchen facilities in secondary schools to reduce the burden on cooks and protect their health.
“We want governments to provide green kitchens in our secondary schools,” she said, advocating cleaner and safer cooking systems.
The 33rd Annual National Conference brought together regional and district education directors, teacher unions and other stakeholders to discuss district leadership and measures to improve the implementation of education policies and learning outcomes nationwide.