Amid a prolonged teachers’ strike in Ghana, a U student who is studying abroad in the western African country is on her way home.
Sarah Duensing, a junior in political science and environmental studies, was planning on spending the semester abroad with the International Student Exchange Programs (ISEP) in Accra, Ghana, until the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) began striking on Aug. 1 over low wages. With the strike continuing past its expected end date of Sept. 1, Duensing said she’s “ready to have academic stability” and has booked a flight back home next Thursday.
According to Modern Ghana, a regional news website, Ghanian teachers are paid the lowest wages of any public servants in the country. Teacher Solidarity, an independent website, estimates that Ghanian teachers only earn $250 per month, while law enforcement officers typically earn three times as much.
The meager salaries are part of a larger problem with the government’s funding of education. Duensing said her institution, the University of Ghana, will take out loans to cover its professors’ salaries before actually receiving funding — leaving some professors unpaid and some loans outstanding.
Other issues, such as the slashing of entitlements, and a new pay system, are also contributing to the strike. According to Ghana Latest, another regional news outlet, UTAG is threatening to strike until their allowances for their textbooks and research costs are paid off.
Duensing said strikes are common, but usually do not happen at the beginning of the semester — possibly signaling a shift in the teachers’ union’s tone.
“The professors have gone on strike every semester for almost two years now I think,” she said in an email interview. “But it’s never lasted this long, and they’ve never opened a semester with a strike like this.”
However, Duensing said ISEP never informed her about the frequency of the strikes and that the strike is a factor in her decision to return to the U for the semester.
“It’s a little bit too dysfunctional for my tastes,” she said.
While Duensing coordinated her study abroad independently through ISEP, the U’s Learning Abroad Office said it was keeping an eye on the situation in Ghana.
“We have been working with ISEP and the host institution to identify ways of supporting the student affected by the strike,” said Beth Laux, director of Learning Abroad in an email interview.
After weeks of deliberation about sticking around to see the strike through or coming home to get the credits she needs, Duensing booked a ticket back to Salt Lake City on Sept. 5.
“I’m excited to come back to where I know I’ll be taught,” she said. “I’m ready to have some academic security.”