NPP to offer special allowances and study leave to teachers

Accra, Nov. 12, GNA - The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Wednesday said the next government formed by the party would provide special allowances and study leave to teachers in rural areas.

"Provide technical schools in rural areas with sufficient resources to expand, place added emphasis on technical and vocational education to meet the challenges of nation building," Ms. Elizabeth Ohene, a leading member of the NPP stated at an educational debate organised by Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition.

Four out of the seven political parties contesting the December Presidential polls participated in the debate on the theme; "Education in Ghana; the Way Forward," to spell-out their educational policy as articulated in their Election 2008 manifesto.

They are NDC; New Patriotic Party (NPP); Peoples National Convention (PNC) and the Convention Peoples Party (CPP). Ms Ohene said the government under Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo would guarantee access for all children of school-going age to free quality education currently available at the basic school level, which would be extended to cover all Senior High Schools.

She also used the occasion to defend NPP policy on education, challenges the government had faces, and other policy interventions by the ruling party which has improved the lot of teachers. She said the condition of service of lecturers at the University level have improved by 100 per cent over the past eight years and there had been considerable gains at the basic levels in the wake of the introduction of the capitation grant, school feeding and FCUBE programmes.