The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has outlined targeted measures to improve the welfare, motivation, and retention of teachers in rural and underserved communities.
Responding to parliamentary questions from the Member of Parliament for Afigya Kwabre South, Damata Appianimaa Salam, Iddrisu said: “The ministry of education in collaboration with the Garda Education Service is implementing a number of targeted strategies to improve the welfare motivation and retention of teachers across the country particularly those posted to rural and underserved areas. Teacher welfare is positioned as a national priority to strengthen their motivation dignity and retention and for long term education outcome gains.”
He stated that special incentives have been introduced to attract teachers to these deprived areas.
“One of these incentives is the reduction in the number of years required to qualify for study leave. Originally it was three years if you were in a deprived area. We have reduced it now to two years. So any person who are self posting to a rural deprived area after two years of service can apply for study leave with pay.”
Haruna Iddrisu added that financial and professional support are also being prioritised.
“Government is committed to roll out a twenty percent salary assurance for rural posting allowance for teachers serving in rural and deprived areas. And the ministry of finance, GES and the ministry of education is working as implementing that. In addition, government is engaged in continuous education and capacity building of teachers across the country.”
To address accommodation challenges, the Minister highlighted a new housing scheme.
“A significant thing that affects the welfare of teachers is their shelter housing. We are currently engaged in some discussion to deploy the “Teacher Dabre initiative” of President Mahama which was in the NDC manifesto which will provide accommodation for teachers in rural areas to address the housing challenges that often affect teacher deployment and retention in those areas.
“Under this “Teacher Dabre initiative”, deliberate measures are been taken to ensure that the construction of new school facilities is accompanied by teacher accommodation. So this time we’ve directed that if contracts are awarded for school blocks it necessarily must include an accommodation facility for the teacher.
“Mr speaker the teacher initiative is led by the administrator of the District Assembly Common Fund. We want it to be as decentralized as possible. What the government of Ghana through the ministry of education will provide will be our pension fund referred to as GSOP which currently has about twelve billion standard.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana