The government must do more than just introducing social intervention programmes in the education sector to score cheap political points.

This call was made by the President National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) Christian Addae-Poku.

At a press conference in Accra today [Tuesday] Addae-Poku mentioned that government has not been able to provide adequate funding to continue running the social intervention programmes they introduced.

“It is our belief that governments are quick to introduce various policies just to score political points but lack the will to carry them through.  We have introduced school feeding programme, one child, one laptop, capitation grants, school uniforms and sandals to mention a few, all in a bid to score political points.  What is the essence of a well-dressed child in a school, where there is no register to record the number of times he/she attends school?”

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President of NAGRAT also called on the government to pay subvention arrears to the District Directorates of Education. He mentioned that government has not paid subventions for the past four years.

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“How are the Directors expected to function?  We are about to begin another academic year and transfers of staff will take place. How will transfer grants and transport allowances be paid?  How will stationery be procured?  It is a known fact that the Directors of Education literally go begging for stationery and fuel from the Heads of Senior High Schools.  The same Directors are expected to supervise the Head of Senior High Schools.  The sad state of our district offices extends to  the lack of or non-functional computers, lack of or broken down office vehicles, lack of or broken down air-conditioning, lack of or broken down photocopiers among others.”

The President of the association also demanded that President Mahama intervenes to get all salaries, subventions and allowance arrears paid before the end of October 2016.