CREP Stands with Teachers and Urges Government to Honour Its Promises

The Centre for Research and Education Policy (CREP) unequivocally stands with teachers across Ghana and welcomes Mr. President’s recent engagement with the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT). The engagement reflects an important recognition of teachers as the backbone of national development and a critical pillar of Ghana’s education system.

CREP notes that the issues discussed during the engagement, including teacher compensation, pension security, education financing, housing, and workplace safety, are not new. They are long standing structural challenges that, if left unresolved, continue to erode morale within the teaching profession and weaken the quality of learning outcomes nationwide. The public acknowledgement of these concerns by Mr. President is therefore significant and necessary.

The commitment to review the Single Spine Salary Structure and the pension regime represents a critical opportunity to correct systemic distortions that have disadvantaged teachers for years. CREP emphasizes that these reviews must not be cosmetic or open ended. They must be time bound, transparent, and carried out with the full participation of teacher unions and relevant stakeholders. Anything short of this will deepen mistrust and reinforce policy fatigue among teachers.

CREP further welcomes the government’s stated intention to increase education spending to meet international benchmarks. Chronic underinvestment in education has manifested in overcrowded classrooms, inadequate learning materials, overstretched teachers, and declining educational outcomes. Increased funding, if efficiently and equitably deployed, can reverse these trends. However, CREP stresses that education financing must be protected from inefficiencies and ensure that resources reach schools and classrooms where they are most needed.

The proposed teacher housing interventions and the firm condemnation of assaults on teachers are also notable. Teachers deserve not only fair remuneration but also dignity, safety, and stability. A system that fails to protect its educators cannot deliver quality education. CREP urges government to back these commitments with enforceable policies, clear accountability mechanisms, and collaboration with security agencies and local authorities.

However, CREP is clear that engagement without execution is insufficient. Teachers have endured years of promises that were delayed, diluted, or abandoned. The credibility of this engagement will be judged solely by implementation and impact. Government must move decisively from dialogue to delivery.

Honouring these promises is not a favour to teachers. It is a national obligation. A motivated, secure, and respected teacher workforce is essential to improving learning outcomes, reducing inequality, and securing Ghana’s long term development. When teachers thrive, the education system thrives, and when education fails, the nation pays the price.

CREP will continue to monitor government actions, engage stakeholders, and hold duty bearers accountable. In standing with teachers, CREP stands for quality education, equity, and the future of Ghana.

Mr. M.G.K Dickson DPF,BEd,MEd,MPhil,LLB

President

Centre for Research and Education Policy (CREP)