Teacher’s 10% of basic salary as rent was initiated in 2006

Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed teachers living in all government bungalows to ready themselves for the deduction of 10 per cent of their basic salaries as rent with effect from March 1, 2022.

A letter dated March 11, 2022, circulated to metro, municipal and district directors of education and all heads of Senior High School noted that the move is in line with efforts to streamline the anomalies with regards to the payment of rent for occupying school or government bungalow.

However, the Western Regional Director of Education, Mrs Felicia Agyeibea Okai says the directive is not new but was initiated in 2006 by the government.

Speaking to Nana Yaw Kumi of Skyy News, she revealed the auditor-general realised most teachers do not pay realistic rent.

Also, the directive for teachers to pay rent is not by the GES are some people perceive but by the government.

She said, “In a report from the auditors, they made it known some of these teachers pay unrealistic rent, which some pay as low as GHC10 and GHC20 for a two-bedroom apartment which is wrong.”

“Also, we were expecting the teachers to come to us and lodge their complaints to see the best possible way to go about the issues but not for them to put the blame on GES…meanwhile we are not the ones who issued the directive but Ministry of Finance.”

Mrs Okai further stated that the rent money is necessary because that is what will be used in maintaining the apartments and bungalows.