The Education Ministry has defended its decision for the contract extension of the Deputy Director of Management Services at the Ghana Education Service, Anthony Boateng, which was made at the request of the Minister for Education.

According to the service, Mr. Boateng’s expertise is needed to improve the education sector.

This decision has compelled four teacher unions to ask Anthony Boateng to decline the contract extension offered him.

The unions in a statement called on GES to direct all persons past their retirement age to hand over their posts to the next in line.

But reacting to the issue, Deputy Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Education, Yaw Opoku Mensah said the government is not obliged to heed to the union’s calls.

“Within this critical period, we need experienced hands like that to be able to ensure that you carry out the reforms that are needed for the betterment of our education system.”

“Within the legal provisions and without expertise, nobody within the system questions his ability to finish what we started together,” Mr. Boateng said.

The teacher unions that made the call were the National Association of Graduate Teachers, Ghana National Association of Teachers, Teachers and Educational Workers Union and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers.

The decision for Anthony Boateng’s extension was made at the request of the Minister for Education.

During the period of extension, he will continue his current role and assist in the development of the Ministry’s National Education Institute.