The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has underscored that it will lay down its tools again if government fails to pay teachers in hard-to-reach areas their deprived area allowance by January 2027.
The NAGRAT President, Jacob Anaba, said the allowance has been outstanding since 2009 and is key to keeping teachers in remote communities.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on Saturday, October 10, which was monitored by Ghanaianradar, Mr. Anaba explained that many teachers posted to deprived areas abandon their posts after a year or two due to the harsh conditions.
He said teachers serving on islands and in other isolated communities struggle to access basic services and even have to travel long distances just to withdraw their salaries.
Paying the allowance, he argued, will motivate them to stay and ensure stable education for children in those areas.
Mr. Anaba said the decision to suspend the recent strike does not mean the unions have dropped their demands, and they will not hesitate to resume if government reneges on its promise.
“If they do not implement it in January, we will go back to the strike,” he warned.
GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG suspended their industrial action on Friday, October 9, after talks with government over promotion arrears, the deprived area allowance and other conditions of service.
