Gov’t is committed to addressing teachers’ conditions of service, deprived-area allowance – Education Minister

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has reiterated the government's pledge to address teachers' conditions of service, including the resolution of delayed promotion payments and the implementation of the deprived-area allowance. Speaking at the Ghana Teacher Prize, Iddrisu assured that the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, backed by the Ministry of Finance, would engage teacher unions to finalize their expired collective agreement on conditions of service.

The government is committed to the manifesto promise of providing a deprived-area allowance for teachers in underserved communities, and data validation is underway to determine eligibility. Additionally, the Ghana Education Service is tasked with validating records of teachers who have been promoted but have yet to receive their new salary grades and associated arrears, with the expectation of covering over 51,000 teachers.

The Minister praised teachers for their vital role in national development, likening them to the "architects" of every profession and expressing gratitude to President John Dramani Mahama for approving an integrated model for basic education infrastructure. This model aims to consolidate kindergarten, primary, and junior high school facilities, alongside laboratories, libraries, and information technology resources, within a single complex.

The government is also working to improve access to electricity in schools, with about 10,750 schools currently lacking power, affecting around three million children.