Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has revealed the government’s plan to build 50,000 housing units for teachers nationwide to enhance living conditions and promote teacher retention, especially in rural areas.
He stated that this initiative, known as the Teacher Dabre Initiative, is a government program aimed at providing suitable housing for teachers and addressing insufficient accommodation in various regions of the country.
During the Accountability Series held on Monday, July 20, the Education Minister mentioned that the project would be executed through a decentralized approach, with the District Assemblies Common Fund spearheading the construction efforts at both regional and district levels.
“Our goal is to construct 50,000 housing units for teachers throughout the nation. The District Assemblies Common Fund will lead this initiative to ensure decentralization at the regional and district levels,” he stated.
The Minister further clarified that the Ministry of Education would offer additional assistance to facilitate the realization of this project, including leveraging pension fund resources from the Ghana Secondary School Pension (GSOP) as collateral support.
Additionally, the Minister revealed that the government is nearing the completion of arrangements for a 20% allowance for teachers who willingly accept postings to rural locations.
“In addition to the 20% allowance for those who self-post to rural areas, we are almost finished with the arrangements,” Mr. Iddrisu remarked.
This proposed housing initiative is part of the government’s broader strategy to enhance teacher welfare, resolve accommodation issues, and make rural postings more appealing to educators.
