Three key teachers’ allowances teacher unions are fighting for

A recent court order forced the three pre-tertiary education unions to end their strike, but they did so yet are still fighting for three important teachers’ deserved allowances that are long overdue and require an upward review.

Public-sector educators at the pre-tertiary level have been cheated for far too long; hence, the demands for the three key allowances for teacher are legitimate and the upward review demands are proactive and forward looking.

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana (CCT-GH) united in the fight for the welfare of teachers in the country must be supported by all public school educators to ensure the struggles of the leadership of the union get the full support and spirit of educators behind their struggle.

The demands put forth by the teacher unions in terms of allowances to be paid to teachers were the Continuous Development Allowance, teachers in deprived areas allowance, and additional allowances that cover transportation, among others.

Discussions on the above issues are progressing, and the will of both parties to find a lasting solution is the way to go.

The three key allowances teacher unions are fighting for are for all teachers.

The demands made by teacher unions are as follows:

Continuous Development Allowance (CDA)

The government should increase the Continuous Development Allowance (CDA) from its current annual value of GHS1200 to GHS3000. If negotiations lead to the adoption of the proposal, that will amount to a CDA  of GHS250.00, or GHS3000.00 a month. The demand, if approved, will make more resources available to professional educators for their continuous development, which will benefit their Ghanaian education system and learners.

Teachers in deprived areas allowance of 20%

The proposal to pay deprived areas allowance to teachers who accept postings to remote and inaccessible areas is a step in the right direction.

The teacher unions are calling for a 20% basic pay allowance for such educators. Often than not, many teachers posted to such areas turn the postings down, leaving no one or just a few teachers to work in such places. However, both those who travel to such remote locations to offer education services and those posted to cities and attractive locations are paid nearly the same pay.

The 20% increase in their pay is due to their acceptance of postings to deprived areas, along with additional allowances.

At the time of filing this report, Ghanaeducation.org can confirm that some progress has been made with regards to issues such as unsupplied teacher laptops, the drafting of a scheme of service for the pre-tertiary education sector, and other critical issues raised by the teacher unions and their leaders.

READ: Striking teacher unions call off Strike

However, there are still pending issues, such as the unresolved issues relating to the backlog of salaries as well as issues regarding teachers’ roles and responsibilities.

Other allowances up to 15%

The final allowance of interest to teachers is for the government to provide up to 15% of basic pay for various allowances for teachers. These allowances include rent, transport, utility subsidies, and teaching and assessment allowances. They hope that this, if approved, will cushion educators and help them alleviate burdens faced by teachers while performing their duties.

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Discussions on the above issues are progressing, and the will of both parties to find a lasting solution is the way to go.