The Vice Chancellor of Accra Metropolitan University, Professor Mrs. Goski Alabi, has made a passionate appeal to the government to urgently revise Ghana’s rural community classification system to ensure equitable access to the 20 per cent rural incentive allowance for teachers.
Speaking at the 54th Delegates Conference of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) in Ho on May 28, 2025, Prof. Alabi criticised the current framework, arguing that it excludes many urban poor communities whose conditions are worse than some officially labelled rural areas.
“There are poor urban communities whose living and working conditions are far worse than some areas currently classified as rural,” she said. “It is time for the government to reassess and reclassify these areas based on current realities.”
The event, held under the theme “The Ghana Education Service @50: Achievements, Teacher Motivation, Challenges and the Way Forward,” also saw Prof. Alabi underscore the urgency of improving teacher welfare and professional capacity, especially in underserved areas.
She emphasized that incentives must reach the most deprived teachers regardless of location, noting, “Teachers working under the harshest conditions—whether rural or not—deserve to be supported.”
Prof. Alabi called for a holistic approach to teacher development, insisting that digital transformation in classrooms must go beyond distributing laptops. “Every teacher deserves a laptop, yes, but they also deserve the training to use it effectively,” she stated.
In a bid to contribute to teacher capacity building, she announced that Accra Metropolitan University would offer 50 per cent scholarships to 20 teachers from the Ho District.
She also urged the government to fulfill its promises to teachers, including the long-awaited “Teacher Dabre” package and the full rollout of the rural allowance, stressing that symbolic promises must translate into tangible support.
“The teacher is not just a dispenser of knowledge, but a builder of character. We must uphold the dignity of the profession,” Prof. Alabi said, adding that investing in teachers is investing in Ghana’s future.
Echoing her sentiments, Ms. Lois Tipong-Asare, GNAT Ho District Chairperson, appealed for swift implementation of the allowance policy. She warned that delays were dampening morale among teachers serving in extremely difficult and often unsafe conditions.
“We urge the government to act quickly so our colleagues in the villages can begin to benefit from this important policy,” she said.
The conference ended with a strong message: until teacher motivation is prioritized and properly implemented, Ghana’s quest for quality education in every corner of the country will remain incomplete.
