Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Apaak, has disclosed that President John Dramani Mahama’s administration is planning to introduce a new government policy to grant a 20 percent increment on the gross salaries of teachers who accept postings to underserved and rural communities.
According to senaradioonline.com, the Deputy Minister made the announcement in Accra on Monday, March 2, 2026, during a courtesy call on the Ministry of Education by 52 outstanding students who excelled in the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
Dr. Apaak explained that the incentive forms part of a broader strategy to prioritise basic education and motivate teachers to serve in deprived areas.
“The President has a program that is going to reward teachers who take up teaching positions in the rural areas slightly more than their colleagues who do not,” he stated.
“That is a policy that is going to allow teachers who take up postings in rural communities 20% on top of their gross salaries as part of motivation,” Dr. Apaak emphasised.
Bridging the Rural Education Gap
The Deputy Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Builsa South, said the policy would work alongside accommodation support and other interventions aimed at improving teacher retention in rural communities.
“This will make it easier for teachers in rural underserved communities to take up postings. So that students in Bunprugu, students in Fumbusi can also have the opportunity to excel like you have so that they can also come to Accra,” he indicated.
The initiative is expected to address longstanding disparities in teacher distribution and improve learning outcomes in hard-to-reach areas.
Warning Against School Violence
Dr. Apaak also used the occasion to caution students against acts of indiscipline and violence in schools.
He condemned recent incidents of school violence and warned that any student found engaging in such acts would face the full rigours of the law.
“What you have achieved should not be the end but the beginning of great things. Be motivated and stay away from bad companions,” he advised the young achievers.
52 Outstanding Students to Be Honoured
Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, announced that the 52 exceptional students would be officially rewarded at a ceremony scheduled for March 4, 2026.
He explained that the awardees include the best male and female students from public and private schools across the 16 regions, as well as the top two male and female students from schools for the visually impaired and hearing impaired.
The ceremony is expected to celebrate academic excellence and reinforce government’s commitment to quality and inclusive basic education nationwide.
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