Efforts by the Education Ministry to talk the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) out of their indefinite strike has hit a snag after the teachers failed to turn for an emergency meeting on Monday. The meeting was to resolve a day old strike by the teachers to press home their demands for payment of car maintenance and responsibility allowance which they claim is in arrears. Despite the palpable setback, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Education, Paul Krampah believes the teachers will soon return to the classroom. According to him, cheques have been signed from the finance ministry to be paid on Tuesday to the affected teachers. “We are working very hard to ensure that they send it to the regions beginning from tomorrow (Tuesday). By tomorrow the cheques will be dispatched to the regions. So we are working on that." Given the painstaking procedures involved in getting the monies paid, Mr Krampah called on the teachers to be patient. “The whole thing is that it is individual accounts. It will take some time. Now when the things gets to the region, they will also send it to the districts and then the districts will also send it to the schools which will take some time,” he lamented. According to him, the ministry showed a copy of the GH₵10 million from which the arrears will be paid to the aggrieved teachers and urged them to return to the classroom. But that appears to have fallen on death ears, as officials of NAGRAT insist they will only return to the classroom if their arrears have been paid. The executives are said to be touring the regions and announcing the decision of the strike to affiliate members. Peter Agboyibo, Greater Accra Regional chairman of NAGRAT said quite bluntly; "We are not calling off the strike until we get the cash." Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana