The Education Ministry has expressed utter surprise over threats of strike by the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT). Public Relations Officer of the Ministry, Paul Krampah told Joy News he is at a loss as to why the Association will take such a decision. NAGRAT cites among other things, the lowering conditions of service for teachers, accusing GES of slashing their monthly responsibility allowance from GH₵1.00 to 30 Gp and their car maintenance allowance from GH₵40.00 to GH₵7.00. They also complain of stalled promotion arrangements for teachers. NAGRAT has served notice members will lay down their tools on November 30, 2009 after a one month ultimatum for government to address their grievances expired. But Paul Krampah vehemently denied assertions that the teacher’s allowances have been slashed. “I am personally at a loss as to why NAGRAT is re-visiting issues we have already discussed and we had a consensus on. I am at a loss in the sense that issues about this responsibility allowance, nobody has slashed the responsibility of teachers. The allowance is nothing to write home about and that is why the government is trying to address and make it very attractive. “So why did they come out to say their allowances have been slashed, some of us are actually at a big loss,” he emphasised He however explained that some schools in the Ashanti Region three months ago contemplated cutting down the responsibility allowance in order to make as many teachers as possible benefit from it, a suggestion he insisted the GES kicked against. He insisted no such decision had been taken to slash down their allowances. Meanwhile, the GES is to arrange a crucial meeting with executives of NAGRAT to find an amicable solution to the impasse. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana