Gov’t to build 50,000 homes for teachers
The government has unveiled plans to deliver 50,000 housing units for teachers across Ghana as part of a broader strategy to improve conditions of service and strengthen teacher retention, particularly in underserved communities.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu announced the initiative on Monday, describing access to decent accommodation as a critical component of efforts to support educators and improve learning outcomes nationwide.
Under the programme, housing projects will be rolled out through a decentralised approach, with implementation coordinated at the regional and district levels through the District Assemblies Common Fund.
“We intend to construct 50,000 housing units for teachers all across the country. It is led by the District Assemblies Common Fund because we want to decentralise it at the regional and district levels,” Mr Iddrisu said during the Government Accountability Series.
The Minister said the initiative forms part of a wider package aimed at improving the welfare of teachers, whom he described as central to the effective management and delivery of education.
“I’m happy to note that the teacher remains pivotal to the school environment and even to the organisation of school management,” he said.
According to him, the Ministry of Education will work with the Ghana Education Service Occupational Pension Scheme (GESOPS) to provide financial backing for the project and help ensure its successful execution.
“The Ministry of Education will provide collateral support using our pension fund of GESOPS to make sure that this also becomes a reality,” he stated.
Mr Iddrisu noted that the housing programme, known as the Teacher Dabre Initiative, will complement existing incentives designed to attract and retain teachers in rural areas, including the government’s 20 per cent allowance for educators who accept postings to deprived communities.
“Apart from the 20 per cent allowance for persons who accept postings into rural areas, we are almost through, led by the District Assemblies Common Fund, with our Teacher Dabre Initiative, which is a bold government programme of President John Dramani Mahama to provide accommodation facilities for teachers across the country,” he added.
The government believes the programme will help address accommodation challenges facing teachers, particularly in remote areas, while boosting morale and improving the quality of education delivery across the country.
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