President Mahama Pledges Stronger Partnership With Teachers, Announces Major Housing & Education Investments

President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to improving teacher welfare and strengthening Ghana’s education system, describing teachers as the backbone of national development.

Speaking at the 54th National Delegates Conference of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) in Accra, Mahama said the conference theme — Education and Development: GES at 50 — Reflection, Reviewing, Revising and Growing the Profession and the Unions — was both “historic and strategic.”

He said the theme invited stakeholders to reflect on five decades of service by the Ghana Education Service (GES) while boldly reviewing and reforming the sector to meet modern demands.

“Education has always been the most reliable engine of national development,”

Mahama declared.

“Every political, social and economic milestone Ghana has achieved carries the fingerprints of teachers. Behind every doctor, every engineer, every entrepreneur, every public servant — and even a President like myself — stands a teacher who believed in us, guided us, corrected us and inspired us to be who we are.”

He added:

“A good student is the function of a good teacher, and that is why this government places teacher welfare, professionalism and dignity at the centre of our national education strategy.”

Teacher Welfare at the Core of Policy

Mahama stressed that the commitment to teachers was not rhetorical but “deliberate — and we will budget for it.”

He highlighted several interventions, including the payment of teacher trainee allowances, restoration of promotion eligibility up to Director rank, and placement of over 30,000 upgraded diploma teachers onto the appropriate salary scales.

He also confirmed that government was developing modalities to implement a 20% base pay incentive for teachers working in deprived and hard-to-reach areas.

“These are not acts of charity,”

he said.

“They are strategic investments in quality education and national transformation.”

Praise for GNAT’s Leadership & Financial Stewardship

President Mahama commended GNAT for what he described as visionary leadership, particularly through the Teachers’ Fund and its affiliated investments.

“The Ghana National Association of Teachers is recognized as one of the most progressive and forward-thinking trade unions in Ghana,”

he noted.

“The Teachers’ Fund is widely recognized as one of the best-managed workers’ funds in the country — grounded in transparency, prudence and long-term value creation.”

He paid tribute to founding leaders of the Fund, describing them as “visionaries who proved that organized labour can combine solidarity with enterprise.”

Major Housing Fund for Teachers

President Mahama announced a revolving housing fund to support affordable home ownership for teachers.

He said the government had allocated ₵500 million in the 2025 budget, with ₵1 billion expected to be added next year, while district assemblies would support the provision of land.

“Teachers will apply, the houses will be built in the areas where they want to live, and the rent you currently pay to landlords will go toward owning your own homes,”

Mahama explained.

“So that when you retire, you will not go back to your grandfather’s house to fight over rooms. You will have your own home, built with dignity.”

Admitting Crisis in Basic Education

The President was frank about the state of basic education, saying it had been neglected.

He cited lack of textbooks, unpaid capitation grants, poor infrastructure and weak foundational skills among pupils.

“We must admit that our educational system faces a severe crisis,”

he warned.

“Students graduate from the basic level with weak skills in numeracy, literacy and critical thinking. We must therefore strengthen foundational learning in our basic schools.”

Massive Infrastructure Expansion Planned

Mahama announced an aggressive programme to expand educational facilities, including:

Upgrading 30 Category C SHSs to Category B

Completing 30 abandoned E-blocks

Building 200 kindergartens, 200 primary schools and 200 junior high schools

Constructing 404 teacher bungalows nationwide

Distributing millions of textbooks

Providing school buses and pickups for headmasters

Procuring 2 million dual desks

“We want to permanently end the pitiful sight of children sitting on stones or lying on the floor to write,”

he said.

He also pledged to abolish the double-track system within two years, saying over 100 schools had already reverted to single-track.

Crackdown on Exam Malpractice

Mahama condemned what he called a “culture of silence” surrounding exam malpractice.

“Cheating in exams is corruption,”

he declared.

“It is sad to encourage our children to be corrupt at such an early stage in their lives.”

He said reforms would restore ethical discipline while ensuring students enter the exam hall with confidence earned through study.

Education Financing to Increase

Mahama revealed that education spending had been increased by 10% in the 2026 budget, but acknowledged that Ghana still fell short of the UNESCO minimum of 4% of GDP.

He pledged gradual increases and restructuring of the District Assemblies Common Fund to channel additional funds into education and health.

Free Speech for Education Leaders

Mahama also assured teachers and school heads of freedom to speak up without intimidation.

“The best way to grow our education sector is through transparency, freedom of speech and even criticism where necessary. As President, I will protect your right to speak up when things are not going well.”

Call for Renewed Partnership

He closed with a call for unity and shared responsibility.

“The future of education in Ghana will not be built on budgets alone, but on trust, dialogue, professionalism and shared responsibility,”

Mahama said.

“Let us recommit to a renewed partnership between government, teachers and organized labour.”