The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama, has emphasized the party’s commitment towards education in the country and promised to uncap and decollateralize the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) if elected into office.
Currently, the fund has a cap on its resources and is collateralized, which restricts the full remittance of the GETFund levy into education financing.
Mr Mahama made the promise when he engaged in a policy dialogue with Pre-Tertiary Teacher Unions in Accra.
The Teacher Unions that attended the policy dialogue, included the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT), Ghana, and the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU).
The dialogue aimed to address concerns regarding the delivery of quality education and education financing in the country.
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Speaking at a policy dialogue with Pre-Tertiary Teacher Unions in Accra, the former President said the move was necessary to ensure that the full remit of the GETfund levy goes into education financing.
“Apart from capping the GETfund, it has also been collateralized. And so, we will uncap the Getfund and decollateralize it in order that the full remit of the GETfund levy will go into education financing,” he said.
Mr Mahama, further explained that the GETfund has been utilized in advance to finance the establishment of model Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) schools. This has resulted in a disproportionate allocation of resources, and criticized the Akufo-Addo government for taking approximately 60% of the fund being utilized for building STEM schools across the country.
“The money has been taken in advance and spent on model Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) schools. And so, at the expense of all the infrastructure that is taking place in all the Senior High Schools, administration plots, dining halls, dormitories, and science laboratories have been neglected.,” Mr Mahama said.
The former President expressed concern over this disparity and stressed the need for equal investment in all aspects of education infrastructure. Uncapping the GETFund and de-collateralizing it would enable the full remittance of funds, ensuring that all schools benefit from adequate infrastructure development.
Mr Mahama, also emphasized the importance of ensuring the availability of essential educational materials such as textbooks, workbooks, and teaching aids and highlighted the proactive efforts taken during his administration to address this need through the Ministry of Education.
He noted that the distribution of school uniforms was carried out in conjunction with providing textbooks, but acknowledged that there are current challenges with the distribution of textbooks at the basic school level and expressed understanding towards the concerns raised by the Teacher Unions on the matter.
Addressing the financial aspect of education in basic schools, former President Mahama stressed the necessity of consistent and timely disbursement of capitation grants to schools and education directorates to facilitate proper school management and emphasized the importance of aligning school financing with the actual needs and available resources.
Furthermore, the NDC flagbearer reminded the Teacher Unions of the NDC’s previous initiative to provide free sanitary pads to female learners in basic and senior high schools, despite facing criticism from the current government.
He commended the Teacher Unions for bringing up this issue again, indicating that it underscores the relevance and importance of the sanitary pads policy, hinting at the possibility of reintroducing it.
Mr Mahama pledged to prioritize infrastructure development to alleviate overcrowded classrooms in basic and senior high schools, with a particular focus on reviving stalled projects like the E-blocks and assured the Teacher Unions of his commitment to addressing these educational challenges if elected into office.
The policy dialogue with Pre-Tertiary Teacher Unions shed light on the NDC’s plans to reform the education sector if entrusted with governance. The NDC’s focus on equity and fair allocation of resources resonated with the concerns raised by the Teacher Unions.
As the general elections approach, this dialogue serves as a platform for political parties to address critical issues and garner support from key stakeholders.
