A trained teacher, Simon Kofi Nartey, has revealed that he works part-time as a night security guard at a fuel station just to survive.
Simon made the disclosure in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, shedding light on the harsh financial realities faced by many newly posted teachers.
As the spokesperson for the 2022 batch of trained teachers from the Colleges of Education, his revelation comes on the back of a protest staged by the group at the Ghana Education Service (GES) headquarters in Accra on Monday, June 23.
The teachers are demanding the release of their staff identification numbers and payment of about 10 months of salary arrears.
Simon’s story reflects the deepening financial struggles among newly trained teachers in Ghana, many of whom go for months or even years without official postings or salaries.
“If it has to do with how we’re surviving, it is very difficult. Most of us had to move to different places for work and had to rent accommodation. We pleaded with our landlords to accept one-year rent, but for me, I could only afford six months—and even then, I’ve only managed to pay one month’s utility bill,” he said.
“I’ve been disconnected due to the debt and I sleep in darkness. It might interest you to know that I work as a night security man at a fuel station to support myself,” he added.
Simon stressed that the ongoing hardship is the main reason they decided to picket at GES, vowing that they will not back down until their concerns are addressed by the government.
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