The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), Kofi Asare, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to honour his pledge that every new basic school constructed under his administration will include accommodation for teachers.
He cautioned that failure to fulfil this promise risks worsening teacher shortages in deprived communities and deepening inequalities in Ghana’s basic education system.
In a statement titled “The President Must Walk His Talk on Teacher Accommodation,” Mr. Asare revealed that Eduwatch’s independent monitoring of ongoing school infrastructure projects across the country shows that while procurement processes for new basic schools are advancing, none of the documents reviewed so far include provisions for teacher accommodation.
“Our checks from the districts confirm ongoing procurement for basic schools in every districts. These projects are being funded from 10 percent of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), as approved by Parliament and directed by Cabinet.”
Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), Kofi Asare
He explained that the initiative, which is expected to support the construction of basic schools nationwide, represents a significant government investment in improving access to education infrastructure.
However, he expressed concern that the exclusion of teacher housing from the procurement plans directly contradicts the President’s public commitment to link every new school project with staff accommodation. “Surprisingly. there is no teacher accommodation component in the procurement documents sighted so far; neither are we aware of any financial allocation,” he remarked.
According to him, the President’s earlier pronouncement to integrate teacher housing into school construction was a timely and commendable pledge, as the lack of decent accommodation continues to deter teachers from accepting postings to remote or deprived communities.
Access to Quality Education at Risk
He said that without immediate action to include accommodation facilities, government efforts to improve access to quality education in rural areas will fall short of their intended impact.
“The President was clear in his promise that every basic school built under his administration would include accommodation for teachers.
“Without decent housing, teachers will keep rejecting postings to deprived schools, worsening pupil-teacher ratios and learning outcomes, and deepening the already existing rural-urban divide in basic education quality and access.”
Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), Kofi Asare
Mr. Asare underscored that teacher deployment remains one of the most persistent challenges in Ghana’s education sector, particularly at the basic level, where teachers often refuse or abandon postings to rural areas due to the lack of basic social amenities, including decent housing.
This, he said, has resulted in chronic teacher shortages in rural schools, leading to overcrowded classrooms and poor learning outcomes compared to urban schools. He stressed that teacher accommodation is not a luxury but a necessity for ensuring equity and inclusiveness in the education system.
Mr. Asare also drew attention to the broader implications of ignoring teacher welfare in education infrastructure planning. He argued that while Ghana has made progress in expanding access through policies such as Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education and school feeding, the sustainability of these interventions depends on the availability and motivation of teachers who serve as the backbone of learning delivery.
The Eduwatch Executive Director, therefore, urged the government to take immediate corrective measures by revising the procurement documents for the ongoing basic school construction projects to include provisions for teacher accommodation.
He further recommended that the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government, develop a standard infrastructure package for basic schools, which mandates that each facility include a minimum of two teacher housing units.
He argued that such a policy would not only reflect the President’s commitment but also institutionalize a practical approach to addressing teacher deployment challenges.
Mr. Asare reaffirmed Eduwatch’s commitment to tracking the implementation of government promises in the education sector to ensure accountability and effective delivery. He concluded by reiterating his appeal to the President to honour his word, saying, “The President must walk his talk on his teacher accommodation promise.”
By doing so, he said, the government would not only fulfil a campaign commitment but also take a decisive step toward bridging the persistent gap in education quality between rural and urban Ghana.
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