The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has urged political parties to move beyond mere promises and make teacher welfare a top priority in their education policies.

NAGRAT claims that past governments have prioritized student benefits at the expense of teachers, resulting in low morale and unfavorable working conditions.

NAGRAT points out persistent challenges such as the lack of housing for rural teachers, delays in allowance payments, and insufficient teaching and learning resources.

The Ashanti Regional Secretary of NAGRAT, Atindana Baba Joseph, expressed frustration that political parties consistently focus on students while neglecting the teachers responsible for executing the policies.

NAGRAT is urging political parties to place teachers at the heart of educational improvements, with better welfare packages, housing solutions, and enhanced facilities.

They also advocate for improving the Free SHS policy rather than abolishing it, stating,

For political parties, we have heard what he promised and what makes us so angry is that always the policies are geared towards the students. How to make the students something, not the ones who are going to implement those policies, that has been our worry.

“For example, we were given TM1, laptops, that the memory gig is just 2.5, whereas those for the students, the memory gig is higher.”

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“We have heard both parties and what they said, but what we are saying is that make the teacher the pivotal element in promoting and enhancing education.

“Our land and housing policy, we want to see it up. Any other facility that will enhance the teacher, we want the curricula, we want it to be fastened. The Free SHS, we want it at least to be improved.”

“We are not interested in their new definition of improved mean cancellation; we are not interested in that. We are born to teach, whoever comes to power, we will teach. However, if you come and enhance our welfare, the package, that makes us more interested in the teaching and every teacher motivated will teach you to the best of his ability and the vice versa is true.”

Registrar of the National Teaching Council, Dr. Christian Addai-Poku speaking at NAGRAT’s 25th Anniversary launch in Kumasi, defended the introduction of the Teacher Licensure Examination.

He encouraged politicians to consult with education experts for a deeper understanding of such policies.