The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has pledged to introduce a 20% allowance for rural teachers if he is elected back into office.

The proposed 20% basic allowance is aimed at attracting teachers to rural areas especially because of the shortage of educators in some rural communities.

Speaking at a town hall meeting in the Western Region, John Mahama assured the audience that he is fully committed to overcoming the challenges hindering the successful implementation of this allowance.

Addressing concerns raised by teachers from the Ahanta West District, he emphasised the need to categorise both rural and urban areas to determine which teachers would be eligible for the allowance.

He acknowledged the complexity of this task, stating, "in Takoradi here, there are some villages within the city. Where will you categorize that? All of these would have to be considered. We will sit with you to address this."

The former President acknowledged that the primary hurdle in implementing the policy lies in accurately categorising rural communities deserving of the allowance.

Simultaneously, private school owners voiced their dissatisfaction with what they perceive as unfair advantages given to public school examinations.

In response, Mr Mahama expressed his willingness to investigate and propose suitable solutions to address the challenges faced by rural areas.

He also highlighted that the NDC government is committed to conducting a thorough review of the free senior high school policy by engaging stakeholders such as parents, teachers, educationists, and students.

"We will have a stakeholder consultation to examine the challenges with the policy and address them. For instance, due to an infrastructure deficit, the school operates on a shift system.

"Currently, some students are at home and will return to school in March. After such a long break, how do they retain what they were taught?" Mahama questioned.