4 reasons behind the performance of Dr. Eric Nkansah as director general

4 reasons behind the performance of Dr. Eric Nkansah as director general

The performance of Dr. Eric Nkansah as the Director General (GES) of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has been in the news recently. The performance of any staff must be underpinned by some factors. The reasons behind Dr. Nkansah’s performance are hereby highlighted below. However, the assumption of duty by the present director general was not without controversy.

History of Dr. Eric Nkansah’s appointment

The current Director General (DG) of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Dr. Eric Nkansah was appointed in November 2022. His initial appointment was in an acting capacity. Later, he was confirmed as the substantive Director General (DG) in January this year, 2023.

Dr. Nkansah was appointed shortly after the sacking of the former director general. His appointment was met with stiff resistance from the majority of stakeholders in education except for the appointing authority.

The appointment created tension in the education sector. Teachers across the country went on an industrial strike over the appointment. The strike lasted for about one (1) week. The main demand for organized labor in education was the revocation of Dr. Nkansah’s appointment. The strike has forced the government to initiate a negotiation with leaders of teacher unions.

The negotiations lasted without achieving the primary reason for embarking on the industrial action. That is Dr. Nkansah was rather confirmed as the substantive director-general instead of being relieved of his post.

Performance of Dr. Eric Nkansah as the Director general

Dr. Eric Nkansah has received positive reviews within six months of being at the post. The positive reviews come from teachers due to the positive influence the director general has impacted on their welfare.

Some of the positive influences the director general has impacted on the teachers are
1. Respond promptly to the concerns of teachers who were being transferred unceremoniously by directors of education in the Western region of Ghana. Such transfers were done after the academic year has started. Teachers had planned their life around staying at their existing workplaces like renting accommodation, only to be asked to move to another location acquired. The director general stepped in to call district and regional directors to order.

2. Staff IDs were released for newly posted teachers within two months of assumption of duty. The release of the staff IDs is a precondition to be paid as a teacher the very first time. It used to take over six months for staff IDs to be released for newly recruited teachers

3. No need for newly recruited teachers to undergo biometric registration before they can be paid the very first time. It used to take between one (1) and three (3) months for biometric registration to be done after the receipt of the staff IDs

4. The director general expressly requested compiled list of staff who were due for any form of allowance and inputted the same for the teachers to start enjoying such allowances

5. The director general also requested a compilation of teachers who needed to be upgraded after further studies and inputted the same.

Others also read: GES Director General Dr. Nkansah, Leaving Unprecedented Mark

Reasons behind the performance of Dr. Eric Nkansah as the director general

The following reasons were stated as the reason behind the present director general’s positive influence in accessing his performance within the short time he had spent in post.

1. Age:

Dr. Nkansah is the youngest director general of the Ghana Education Service (GES). He was forty-one (41) years old in the year he was appointed. Most global conglomerates are headed by young people. Even in governance cycles in Western countries, young people are either elected officials or occupy a very sensitive and demanding portfolio.

It is not just a coincidence that young people are preferred to occupy highly demanding jobs. Young people can adapt more easily to modern situations than older people. Let’s say the older you get the less flexible you become. Dr. Nkansah stands the chance to see young teachers’ problems as his own than an older person who will say this is how we do it or it is not done that way.

2. Career aspirations:

Dr. Nkansah is only 41 years old. He has a long road to thread together with teachers who are between 30 years old and 50 years old. Teachers are the largest learned group in almost any country. The director will need the teachers for an electable positions in the future. He will equally need the teachers for appointed positions in the form of public support from the teacher who are publicly aware of any issue in the country.

3. A point to prove:

The current director general is the most vilified appointed. Teachers from across the country went on strike because of him. He must prove himself. Either to shame the antagonist or to lay a foundation for himself through his leadership at the largest institution, GES, in the country

4. Influence of the sector minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum:

Dr. Nkansah can be considered as the protege of the sector minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwem, the Minister for Education. Dr. Nkansah was a director in charge of tertiary education at the Ministry of Education before he was appointed the director general.

It is perceived the sector minister felt more comfortable working with the present director general. More so, the director general seems to taking certain actions that are a resemblance of his sector minister. That is Dr. Nkansah is seen to be visiting schools either unannounced or announced, which is a trademark for Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum.

The implication is that the director general could get the blessing of the sector minister more easily. And the sector minister could equally push the ministry’s initiatives to the Ghana Education Service more easily.