President Mahama calls on striking teachers to return to classroom

President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday appealed to the striking teachers to return to the classroom while their leadership negotiated with government and other authorities involved. He said: �Complaints are better dealt with in an environment of dialogue than the current strike action the country is experiencing.� President Mahama made the appeal when members of various youth groups called on him at the Flagstaff House, Kanda. The groups, made up National Union of students, Ghana National Union of Polytechnics and the Law Students Union among others, were at the Presidency to interact with President Mahama and congratulate him on his victory and coronation. President Mahama said the timing of the strike action of teachers was inappropriate, particularly when school children were about to write their examinations adding, "it is not fair for innocent children to suffer for that action." He said as a measure to increase the skills of the youth, government would revamp all the youth leadership skills training institutes dotted throughout the country to equip more youth with the requisite skills to start their personal enterprises. The President said government would also train staff of the Statistical Service to conduct adequate research and survey on the rate of unemployment so that government could set standards and targets for job creation. He appealed to the youth groups to offer constructive criticisms and advice that could help government to speed up development throughout the country. Mr Prosper Hoetu, Spokesperson of the youth groups, called for partnership between the youth groups and government to ensure coordination and synchronization that could bring mutual benefits to them in the coming years. He appealed to government to intervene immediately in the current teachers� strike action to avoid jeopardising the future of the school children.