The Ghana Education Service (GES) says there is nothing wrong with deducting 10 per cent of the salaries of teachers and staff of Senior High Schools (SHS) occupying government bungalows.

It says, the move is part of the recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament and also to prevent audit queries from the Finance Ministry.

The Western Regional branch of the GES had explained in a letter that the said 10% deduction forms part of the government’s efforts to streamline the anomalies with regard to the payment of rent for occupying schools or government bungalows.

But the GES at the national level in a separate statement issued today, Wednesday, March 16, 2022, said it fully supports the directive.

“Management of GES fully endorses the letter issued by its Western Regional Director and wishes to request all cost centre managers to be guided by the said Ministry of Finance’s circular as valid and enforceable.  This is necessary to avoid future queries and subsequent appearance before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on the subsequent.”

“We wish to reiterate that it is not the GES which is imposing the rent or determining how much is to be paid but purely being guided by the Ministry of Finance’s circular and the admonitions of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament”, the statement said.

Already, teacher unions have strongly condemned the directive arguing that the planned deduction is unfair to teachers, given the meagre salaries they receive for their services.

The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) believes the move is needless, as the expected revenue from deductions will be minimal to support the government’s programmes.

With these issues, GES however says the unions will be engaged.

“Management of GES has taken note of the concerns raised by GNAT on behalf of the pre-tertiary education unions on this issue and will be meeting the leadership of the unions to discuss their concerns  in the coming days.”

‘We’ll fiercely resist the attempt to deduct rent from teachers’ salaries – GNAT

The Ghana National Association of Teachers, GNAT, has also kicked against the plan by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to deduct 10% of teachers’ basic salaries for the occupation of public bungalows.

According to the teacher union, the directive is against the spirit and letter of the Collective Agreement enacted between the Ghana Education Service and teacher unions in August 2020.