Students urge government to intervene as UTAG strike begins

University students fear they have been left in limbo as the University Teachers Association of Ghana begins a strike in demand of improved conditions of service.

The students who spoke to Citi News reporters called on the government to, as a matter of urgency, find a lasting solution to issues that have led to the strike by UTAG.

UTAG members on all tertiary campuses across the country have withdrawn teaching and other services like examinations, invigilation, marking of examination scripts, and the processing of examination results.

Although a school like KNUST is yet to begin full academic work, students fear they will bear the brunt of the action if the matter is not addressed as early as possible.

They are thus urging relevant stakeholders to help bring finality to the issue.

“It is not going to help us, especially we, the final year students. The academic calendar is already packed for us,” one of the students said to Citi News.

First-year students of the University for Development Studies, at the Tamale campus, have been left in a limbo as a result of the ongoing strike by the University Teacher’s Association of Ghana.

A visit to the UDS campus saw first-year students registering for their courses, while continuing students were seen loitering with no serious teaching and learning going on.

Interacting with Citi News, some students expressed concern about the negative impact of the strike on academics and called on the government to address the concerns of the lecturers.

“With a strike, how do lectures go on? Today being Monday, at least there should have been lectures ongoing on campus but here is the case they are on strike,” one student complained.

“So I will plead with the government to grant them their needs,” the student added.

At the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ho, lecture halls were closed or deserted amid the strike.

A visit to the campus showed some students loitering around the campus, whilst others could be seen under trees chatting.

First-year students, however, are yet to report to school

Some continuing students who spoke to Citi News say they are not affected much as they have some study materials at hand.

Source: Citinewsroom.com