Let’s Extend the 20% Rural Allowance to Cover Deprived Areas: A Move Toward Educational Equity

In his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on February 27, 2025, His Excellency, the President, John Dramani Mahama echoed a 20% salary allowance for teachers in rural areas. The initiative is a positive step aimed at tackling teacher shortages in underprivileged communities by encouraging educators to accept and stay in these positions.

However, the move raises important concerns about its application. One major issue is the definition of “rural” related to this allowance. Without a clear, standardized definition, inconsistencies may arise in how the policy is applied. This may potentially lead to disputes over who qualifies. Additionally, it is important to note that teachers in deprived areas, which may not fall under the rural category, are also excluded. Deprived urban areas frequently confront similar, if not greater, challenges in education, including inadequate infrastructure, insufficient teaching resources, and low student retention. To maximize the policy’s effectiveness, it should encompass both rural and deprived areas. Though used interchangeably, these terms possess unique meanings based on demographic, infrastructural, and socio-economic factors.

What Defines a Rural Area?

Rural areas are typically characterized by low population density, limited infrastructure, and reduced access to essential services. The Ghana’s Population and Housing Census (PHC) classifies rural areas as those with populations under 5,000, often lacking vital public amenities such as good roads, hospitals, and electricity, which makes attracting qualified professionals, including teachers, challenging.

More so, Kashaa (2012) describes rural areas as places with minimal governmental developmental initiatives, leading to widespread poverty and lower educational outcomes. The absence of infrastructure and essential services discourages teachers from accepting postings to these regions. This highlights the need for financial incentives to address educational inequalities.

What Defines a Deprived Area?

In contrast, deprived areas are identified not solely by population size but by economic struggles, poor living conditions, and limited access to quality education, existing in both rural and urban contexts. The  Ministry of Education identifies deprived districts using various indicators, such as: High student-to-teacher ratios, low teacher retention rates, poor  student performance on national The Oxford Dictionary of Geography describes a deprived area as: “A community or region facing significant economic and social hardships, frequently marked by substandard housing, low incomes, elevated unemployment rates, and limited access to essential services.” Better still, the UK Government Indices of Multiple Deprivation – IMD (2019) defines deprived areas by considering various factors related to income, employment, education, health, crime, housing, and living conditions.  It continues to state that an area is considered deprived if it scores high on these deprivation indicators.

Undeniably, Schools in these settings often face challenges such as inadequate classroom space, insufficient teaching supplies, and poor sanitation. Furthermore, many deprived urban areas suffer from overcrowding. These complicate the learning environment.

Given these circumstances, it is clear that both rural and deprived areas encounter significant educational challenges. This is to say that, limiting the allowance solely to rural teachers ignores the difficulties faced by educators in deprived urban areas who also require financial incentives. Broadening the 20% allowance to include both rural and deprived areas is not only a matter of fairness but also a strategic measure that aligns with our overarching goals of educational equity.

The Compelling Reasons:

• Tackling Educational Inequities

A core aim of educational policy is to ensure equal opportunities for all children, regardless of where they live. However, educational disparities remain prevalent. Schools in deprived areas often contend with inadequate infrastructure, a lack of teaching materials, and teachers who are either unqualified or overwhelmed. As a fact, deprived areas consistently show lower literacy and numeracy rates than better-privileged regions.

Thus, extending the allowance to teachers in deprived areas could help bridge this gap by attracting and retaining skilled educators in these challenging environments, ultimately leading to improved student achievement and a more equitable national education system.

• Enhancing Teacher Retention in Hard-to-Reach Areas

Teacher attrition poses a significant challenge for education in both deprived and rural areas. Many qualified teachers decline to accept positions in these locations due to poor working conditions, limited professional growth opportunities, and lower living standards. Anlimachie’s (2019) study highlighted that many teachers who do accept roles in deprived areas often do not remain long. It results in frequent disruptions for students.

To buttress it, it is true that financial incentives have proven effective in retaining teachers in difficult-to-staff schools. According to a 2022 study in the UK, specific allowances significantly increased teacher retention in under-resourced schools. By broadening the 20% rural allowance to also cover deprived areas, the government could attract more teachers to these locations while encouraging them to stay. This will ensure consistency in education delivery.

• Boosting Student Outcomes

In furtherance, there is a strong link between teacher motivation and student performance. When educators feel valued and fairly compensated, they tend to invest more effort into lesson planning, student engagement, and personalized instruction. Research from UNESCO underscores that financial incentives for teachers in underserved areas lead to improved student academic outcomes.

In Ghana, deprived urban schools frequently experience low student performance due to teacher turnover and inadequate educational resources. By widening the allowance to encompass deprived areas, the government can help ensure that students in these communities receive an education comparable to that of their peers in more affluent regions.

• Fostering Social Equity and National Development

It is essential to understand that, providing equal educational opportunities for all children is not merely a moral requirement, It is also crucial for national development. An educated populace leads to greater economic productivity, lower crime rates, and better public health outcomes. By addressing educational inequalities through financial incentives for teachers in both rural and deprived areas, the government would make a long-term investment in our socio-economic development.

Moreover, widening this policy aligns with our commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), which seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Expanding the teacher allowance policy would signify Ghana’s commitment to this international objective.

Recommendations

To ensure effective policy execution, several key actions should be taken:

1. Establish Clear and Inclusive Criteria – The government must create well-defined criteria for classifying rural and deprived areas to promote transparency in implementation.
2. Involve Local Stakeholders – Community leaders, district education offices, and teachers should participate in the classification process to ensure accurate identification of deprived areas.
3. Implement a Strong Monitoring System – District assemblies should oversee the allowance’s impact to ensure teachers remain in their roles and fulfil their responsibilities.
4. Complement the Allowance with Additional Incentives – Further measures, such as enhanced housing support, professional development opportunities, and career progression pathways, should be introduced to further promote teacher retention.
5. Regularly Review the Policy – The government should continually assess the policy’s effectiveness and adjust as needed based on stakeholder feedback.

Conclusion

The 20% salary allowance for teachers in rural areas is a commendable step toward addressing educational disparities. However, limiting the allowance solely to rural teachers would fail to acknowledge the struggles of educators in equally challenging conditions in deprived urban areas. By expanding this incentive to cover all deprived regions, the government would adopt a more inclusive approach to addressing the challenges of teacher distribution.

As President Mahama articulated, “No new school will be built without teachers’ accommodation.” This commitment to enhancing teacher welfare must go beyond infrastructure to include financial incentives that acknowledge the challenges faced by educators in underprivileged communities. A truly equitable education system necessitates that all disadvantaged schools-whether rural or urban-receive the necessary support. By implementing this policy expansion, we can take a meaningful step toward educational justice and national progress.

WRITTEN BY: WISDOM KOUDJO KLU, EDUCATIONIST/COLUMNIST, GREATER ACCRA REGION, [email protected]