The Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh announced the introduction of a Professional Teacher Allowance (PTA) of GH¢1,200 per year for professional teachers and GH¢600 per year for non-professional teachers in parliament on Tuesday.
According to him, the move is to deepen the commitment of teachers and spur professional growth which will lead to teachers investing in and upgrading their skills and keeping abreast with modern trends to assist in improving learning outcomes.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ministry of Education, Kwesi Obeng Fosu addressing concerns that the amount per annum is very little and incapable of supporting the personal development of teachers has disclosed the possible increase in the amount.
Speaking to Happy 98.9 FM’s Afrifa-Mensah, host of the Epa Hoa Daben political talk show, he noted, “It is possible for us to review the amount in the future. This may be a starting amount but as we progress, the amount can be increased.”
He motioned that teachers are a priority to both the government and ministry and will always be adequately cared for.
“Looking at the manifesto of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Education Ministry, the teacher has always been first. And that is why we have given them the right tools and equipment to work effectively.”
The PRO for the Ministry was quick to reveal the excitement with which the various teacher associations received this welcoming news.
“We have spoken to the NAGRAT and GNAT. They are very happy about this allowance and have accepted it but we’re yet to iron out the modalities with them. It’ll, however, be a smooth process,” he admitted.
He assured teachers that the government’s decision to pay them these allowances had been thoroughly thought through and was a sustainable project.