Speaking to Citi News, Vice President of NAGRAT, Angel Kabonu cautioned that the NPP will have a price to pay in the next four years if it is unable to execute the promises made.

“From the labour point of view, we will want government to enhance the living conditions and standards of living of workers in this country but specifically, we want teachers’ living conditions to be enhanced. We want conditions that make teaching and learning possible like the provision of the resources that aid teaching to be provided.”

“We have some unfinished concerns that the outgoing government did not complete and address; Issues to do with arrears that are owed teachers,” Mr. Karbonu added.

He highlighted some promises the NPP made like the introduction of free education from the kindergarten level to Junior High School and the restoration of the colleges of education allowances and said NAGRAT expected that these promises, among others “be manifested in its first budget.”

“Failure in fulfilling promises leads to the removal of a government in power after four years as prescribed by the constitution,” Mr. Karbonu warned.

Budget-wise, President-elect Nana Akufo-Addo has already committed to the NPP’s promise of establishing a Zongo development fund by indicated that it will be a line item in the 2017 budget.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Include educational promises in 2017 budget – NAGRAT to NPP appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The ministry’s announcement contradicts claims by some members of the Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana (TTAG), that it has not received its feeding grants from government for the past three semesters.

The group attempted to picket at the offices of the Education Ministry and the Ghana Education Service (GES) on Wednesday, to demand the payment of the feeding grants, but were stopped by the Police.

According to a press statement released by the Ministry of Education and signed by the Head of Public Relations, Dan Osman Mwin, the amount released covered arrears for the second semester of the 2014/15 academic year, as well as the first half of the second semesters of the 2015/16 academic year.

The statement said, the Ministry had noted that a request for the outstanding half of the feeding grant for second semester of the 2015/26 academic year, has been made to the Ministry of Finance.

TTAG in an earlier statement copied to citifmonline.com said, “we would like to state our displeasure at the outgoing government for their gross display of negligence and neglect towards the fate of colleges of education and newly trained teachers across the country… the Government of Ghana over the years has treated teacher trainees so poorly and has refused to pay feeding grants to students after the scrapping of the teacher trainees’ allowances and several unfulfilled promises even by top officials like the President and the Vice president.”

Earlier this year, the government scrapped allowances of teacher and nursing trainees, and promised to pay them feeding grants. But according to the President of the Trainee Teachers Association, Ekow Paintsil Djan, the government has not fulfilled the promise.

He told Citi News, “They are owing us for about 3 semesters. For the current first years government owes that GH¢550. For the current level 200, the government owes than GH¢1,200 and those in level 300 government owes them Gh¢1,200 and those that have been posted, government owes them GH¢550.”

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

The post Feeding grants for teacher trainees paid – Gov’t appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This forms the first batch of SHS students being admitted to the various schools following their recent inauguration by President John Mahama.

The students were posted through the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).

According to the Head of CSSPS, Kwasi Anokye, 41 of the schools had declared their preparedness to admit the students for the 2016/2017 academic year, hence were included in the list of schools with vacancies to admit the new students.

In an interview with Citi News, he said, at least 500 students were posted to each of the schools.

“The community day schools, as at last week, we had over 41 of them being ready to admit across the country, and we have been able to place a minimum of 500 students in each of these Community Day schools,” he said.

The GES had earlier indicated that, the new schools being constructed will be ready for admission this year, but there were concerns about the non-completion of some of the schools ahead of the start of the 2016/2017 academic year.

‘Mahama to construct 200 Community Day SHS’

President Mahama during the 2012 electioneering campaign, promised to build 200 new Community Day SHSs in under-served communities across the country, to address the issue of access to education in the country.

The first school, located at Ekumfi Otuam in the Central Region, was inaugurated in 2015 by President Mahama, and named after the late President, John Atta-Mills, who hails from the area.

‘200 schools cannot be completed in 2016’

The Government has admitted that it cannot complete the construction of the all 200 Senior High Schools before the end of 2016.

It however noted that, it is certain to complete them if given the nod to govern for a second four-year term.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

The post Over 20,000 students posted to Community Day SHSs appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.