Teachers’ Unions Fault Mid-Year Budget Over Missing Rural Allowance

unions have criticised the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review for failing to include funding for the long-promised 20% deprived area allowance, arguing that the omission undermines government commitments to improve teacher welfare despite increased spending on education.

The criticism follows Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson’s presentation of the Mid-Year Budget Review, which outlined more than GH¢4 billion in education spending, including a US$300 million World Bank-supported programme to help eliminate the double-track system, over GH¢1 billion for education infrastructure, and GH¢72 million released for capitation grants and related education expenditures.

However, the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers’ Association of Ghana (PRETAG) contend that the budget prioritised infrastructure while overlooking measures aimed directly at improving teachers’ conditions of service.

NAGRAT President Jacob Anaba said the revised budget failed to honour commitments announced in the 2025 budget, including the introduction of a 20% deprived area allowance, teacher accommodation projects, and the construction of basic schools with residential facilities for teachers.

PRETAG Vice President Adokwei Awulley also questioned the government’s commitment, arguing that repeated assurances on rural teacher incentives and the implementation of the new scheme of service have yet to be matched with financial allocations or implementation timelines.

Beyond the omitted allowance, the unions said the Mid-Year Budget was silent on unresolved issues such as teacher promotions and accommodation, both of which remain longstanding concerns across the education sector.

The unions are calling for renewed engagement between government and organised labour to ensure that outstanding welfare commitments particularly the deprived area allowance are incorporated into future budget statements, warning that sustained neglect of teacher welfare could weaken efforts to improve education outcomes in underserved communities.