Free SHS Turns Nightmare – Teachers Must Pay 10% Of Salary As Rent

The Free SHS program by the Akufo-Addo government is now becoming a freak show for teachers who must now pay 10% of their basic salaries back to the government as rent for the public bungalows that they live in.

In what can be called a desperate throwback to the Kufuor era, a directive from the Ghana Education Service (GES) reactivated a 2006 policy that was not really implemented to further disorient already overburdened teachers.

“in line with the effort to streamline the anomalies with regards to the payment of Rent for Occupying School/Government bungalow, I wish to draw your attention to Ministry of Finance Circular No. 133385/05/05/06NTR CAGD of 15th May 2006 requires that occupants of government bungalows are expected to pay 10% of their basic salary as rent,” the GES statement read.

“I, therefore, write to inform you that with effect from 1st March 2022, all Teachers/Staff occupying School/Government bungalows are expected to pay 10% of their basic salary.”

The letter which is addressed to all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Directors of education is signed by Felicia Agyeibea Okai, Director of Education Western

Even though the letter is dated 11th March 2022, it announced that the forced rent policy is to take retrospective effect from 1st March 2022.

Already, teachers have been up in arms with the government over poor salaries.

But the Akufo-Addo government is broke, after Finance Minister, Ken OPfori-Atta, borrowed the country into a manhole. And so by hook or crook, the government must make money.

The current situation only comes to compound troubles that teachers and students have been facing from the unplanned implementation of Free SHS.