President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to prioritising teacher welfare, improving basic education infrastructure, and abolishing the double-track system as part of sweeping reforms to strengthen Ghana’s education sector.
He made this known when addressing delegates at the 7th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) themed “Education and Development: The GES @ 50 – Reflecting, Reviewing, Revising and Growing the Profession and the Unions.”
President Mahama commended teachers for their vital role in shaping the nation’s development and described education as “the most reliable engine of national progress.”
Highlighting key interventions, the President announced that government had restored promotion eligibility up to the rank of Director, placed over 30,000 upgraded diploma teachers onto the appropriate salary scale, and was developing modalities for a 20% base pay incentive for teachers working in deprived and hard-to-reach areas.
He also unveiled a major teacher housing initiative, stating that GH¢500 million had been allocated in the 2026 budget to establish a revolving Teachers’ Housing Fund, to be increased to GH¢1 billion next year, in partnership with GNAT and Republic Bank.
Touching on education reform, President Mahama admitted that Ghana’s basic education system faced serious challenges, including lack of textbooks, delayed capitation grants, poor retraining for teachers, and inadequate infrastructure.
He said the government was taking decisive measures to address these gaps by constructing 200 kindergartens, 200 primary schools, and 200 junior high schools across all districts.
At the secondary level, he announced plans to upgrade 30 Category C schools to Category B, expand facilities in existing senior high schools, and complete 30 abandoned E-blocks to increase access.
Addressing declining academic standards and examination malpractice, President Mahama described widespread cheating in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) as “a national crisis” that undermines integrity and genuine learning.
The President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers, Reverend Isaac Owusu, for his part, urged the government to urgently review the Single Spine Pay Policy and improve the conditions of service for teachers.
He said that while the government’s plans to recruit 50,000 teachers and provide housing are commendable, more needs to be done to address the challenges of poor salaries and pensions.
He also called for better funding for public basic education and declared this year as one of zero tolerance for teacher assaults following recent attacks, including the killing of a teacher in the Garu District.
Reverend Owusu commended past GNAT leaders for their contributions and pledged that the association will continue to champion the welfare of teachers and promote excellence in education.
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Source: Anthony Sasu Ayisadu/ATLFMNEWS
