The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has kicked against government’s decision to demand rent from teachers.
The Ghana Education Service has directed teachers living in all government bungalows to get ready for the deduction of 10 per cent of their basic salaries as rent with effect from March 1, 2022.
In a letter dated March 11, 2022, circulated to metro, municipal and district directors of education and all heads of Senior High School, GES noted that the move is in line with efforts to streamline rent payment anomalies.
“I wish to draw your attention to Ministry of Finance circular No. 133385/05/06NTR CAGD of May 15, 2006, which requires that occupants of government bungalows are expected to pay 10% of their salary as rent,” the GES said in the statement.
Commenting on the issue with host of Atinka FM’s AM Drive Kaakyire Ofori Ayim, the Deputy General Secretary for NAGRAT, Rene Senyo Kwamikokor described the directive as a joke.
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He maintained that the directive is unfair to teachers, given the meagre salaries they receive for their services.
“The accommodation condition rates are not the same and equal across the country. But when it comes to teachers specifically, we need to look at the details and understand the peculiarity of our job and look at the reasons teachers should not be charged for occupying the government bungalows.”
“The teachers living in bungalows in the schools are not only performing teaching duties, It is these same teachers who take our sons and daughters to hospital, and in doing all these, they teach the full complements of their subjects in class. No teacher is employed in the Ghana Education Service to become a housemaster. They are employed to teach subjects. The other duties such as the house duties they perform are for free, so why do you ask them to pay for accommodation when they are offering these services for free?” the Deputy General Secretary for NAGRAT, Rene Senyo Kwamikokor asked Kaakyire Ofori Ayim.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Vivian Adu | [email protected]
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