Deputy Education Minister Announces 20% Salary Top-Up for Teachers in Rural and Deprived Communities
Deputy Education Minister Dr. Clement Apaak has announced that teachers who accept postings to rural and deprived communities will receive a 20% salary top-up as part of the government’s efforts to bridge educational inequalities across the country.
Dr. Apaak made the disclosure during a courtesy call on top performers from the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), where he emphasized the administration’s determination to make rural teaching positions more attractive and ensure quality education reaches every corner of Ghana.
Under the government’s ‘Teacher Dabre’ Programme, teachers assigned to hard-to-reach and underserved areas will benefit from the financial incentive in addition to accommodation support. The initiative aims to motivate educators to serve in remote locations and improve teaching and learning outcomes at the basic education level.
“The President has a program that is going to reward teachers who take teaching positions in rural areas. These teachers would get 20% on top of their gross salary as a form of motivation,” Dr. Apaak explained.
He further noted that the policy — first announced by President John Dramani Mahama during the 2026 State of the Nation Address — is designed to level the playing field, giving students in rural communities the same opportunities to excel as those in urban centres.
The announcement has been welcomed by teacher unions and education stakeholders who have long called for stronger incentives to address chronic teacher shortages in deprived districts. Rural postings are often avoided due to limited infrastructure, poor accommodation, and logistical challenges.
The Ministry of Education is expected to release detailed guidelines soon on eligibility, implementation, and how the top-up will be calculated and disbursed. The ‘Teacher Dabre’ Programme forms part of broader reforms aimed at strengthening the basic education system, improving teacher welfare, and reducing regional disparities in learning outcomes.
Parents, school administrators, and teacher associations have expressed hope that the incentive will encourage more qualified educators to accept rural postings and help raise academic standards in underserved areas.
