Claim: A Facebook user claims the Ghanian government has introduced uniforms for its school teachers.
The claim that the government of Ghana has introduced uniforms for its school teachers is false. The Public Relations Officer for the Ghana Ministry of Education and the Spokesperson, Ghana Ministry of Education, both confirmed that the information is false.
Full Text
For reasons such as equality, safety and sense of belonging, the concept of school uniform among primary and secondary schools in Africa has come to stay. Uniforms are the clothing students are required to wear at school. Schools often have specific styles and colours, “to identify students as attending a particular institution.”
Unlike students, school teachers in Africa are, however, rarely seen wearing school uniforms. Rather, they adopt corporate dresses as their dress code.
This claim surprisingly indicates that the Ghana government has implemented the wearing of school uniforms by teachers. The post was shared by this Facebook user. The post, accompanied by the post are pictures of some women and a man kitted in dull peach-coloured shirts and deep brown skirts and trousers, went viral and even resurfaced on Twitter. The chest pocket of the shirts reads ‘Ghana Education Service.’
The post, which has been widely shared and retweeted, has also caused controversial debates among users who saw the uniform as “unacceptable” and those who regarded it as ‘a welcomed development.’
Reacting to the claim, Alice Chobola, a Facebook user, condemned the government’s act, saying it was not right for teachers to wear uniforms.
She wrote: “Wrong of Ghana to do that. Nurses wear uniforms, patients own clothes, so pupils wear uniforms, teachers own clothes, Epela.”
However, unlike Alice, Mavis Mulundano said introducing school uniforms to teachers will curb secret activities performed by them during school hours.
She wrote, “It can be a very good idea in Zambia so as to reduce the number of teachers who go drinking during working hours for fear of being spotted in uniform.”
It is due to this virality that DUBAWA decided to conduct a fact check.
Verification
DUBAWA first conducted a Google keyword search and discovered that the claim has also been published by this blog, this blog, and this blog. However, it was not reported by any credible news platform.
DUBAWA then contacted Cassandra Twum, the Public Relations Officer for Ghana Education Service. Bluntly but clearly, she discredited the claim, saying:
“Oh but this is an old fake story. Disregard! not true.”
Furthermore, DUBAWA also spoke with Kwasi Kwarteng, the Spokesperson of Ghana Ministry of Education who also debunked the news, saying in a WhatsApp chat:
“The Ghana Education Service has not approved of any uniform/attire for its teachers.”
Conclusion
The Public Relations Officer for Ghana Ministry of Education and the Spokesperson, Ghana Ministry of Education, have debunked the news. The circulating claim that the Ghana government asked its teachers to wear uniforms to work is, therefore, false.