Teaching is one profession that comes with many demands as teachers are saddled with the task to ensure that students are molded intellectually in the best possible way. This has given rise to a lot of challenges in fixing the appropriate pay rate for teachers’ salary to reflect their hard work. Hence, the quality of the teacher would go a long way in determining their remuneration, especially in a country like Ghana where the salary of teachers is pegged to both the depths of the teachers’ formal education and their expertise.
How Lucrative is The Teaching Profession in Ghana?
Ghana as a country has done a fantastic job when it comes to providing quality education to its citizens and foreign students. However, like most other countries in Africa, teachers in Ghana have to make do with the meager sums they receive at the end of each month to support themselves and in some cases, their families.
More so, the economic, social, and political pressure that is being put on the income of a teacher in Ghana often leads them to resort to other side businesses just to make ends meet. Some teachers get involved in extra tutoring, mini-importation businesses, commercial farming, and real estate, to name a few, in order to augment the quite unimpressive salary they receive for all their hard work.
Basic Teachers’ Salary in Ghana
The job of a basic school teacher requires them to teach a range of subjects with a focus on laying foundations for other forms of education. They instruct students on reading and comprehension, writing, and basic math. They also have to develop and implement activities and relay the progress of the student to parents or guardians.
Teachers’ salary at this level is not fixed. That is, it depends on the institution the person works. Stats have shown that basic school teachers earn anything from 536. 69 Ghana Cedis per month to 4,129.28 Ghana Cedi per month.
Diploma Teachers’ Salary in Ghana
When a teacher with a Diploma from any of Ghana’s many Colleges of Education begins to teach, they are effectively placed in a category called Senior Superintendent II and they earn between 1,500 Ghana Cedi and 1,800 Ghana Cedi per month.
Teachers with Diplomas under the public sector are entitled to a salary increase for every year of service. After the first five years, teachers with Diplomas get promoted to Senior Superintendent I with a significant change in salary. Here, the teacher earns anything from 1,800 Ghana Cedi to 2,500 Ghana Cedi per month.
Degree Teachers’ Salary In Ghana
All teachers with a Degree in any discipline from a certified government institution earn more than their colleagues with lesser qualifications. At the lowest level, Degree teachers earn between 1,800 Ghana Cedis and 2,500 Ghana Cedi for starters and it can increase with promotion to almost 4,000 Ghana Cedi per month. This does not include other benefits and allowances.
Why Does Teachers’ Salary in Ghana Differ?
There are a number of indices that will determine if a teacher earns more than his or her peers in the educational sector. One of the main factors that determine how well a teacher is paid is the number of years a person has put into service. For example, a teacher who has put in anywhere from 2 to 5 years of work will earn about 32% more than a teacher who is just in his or her first year.
More than 5 years of experience bump the rate to 36% compared to teachers who have reached the 5 years or less mark. At 10 years, the salary increases to 21% more and 14% more at the 15-year mark. Hence, from 10 years and above, a teacher’s salary doubles what he initially started with.
Another very important factor that is considered when determining how much a teacher is paid at the end of the month is the level of education that the said teacher has acquired. As previously mentioned, a diploma holder will essentially earn more than one who has no teacher’s qualifications; the actual figure is 17% more. BSc holders earn 24% more than diploma holders and Masters Degree holders earn 29% more than their peers with only a Bachelor’s Degree. To top it all off, Ph.D. holders receive 23% more than Master’s Degree holders in a similar position.
It is important to note that some areas of specialization will greatly improve a teacher’s chances of earning more money. For example, teachers in specialized science programs are paid more than their counterparts in the field of arts or social sciences because of the workload difference.
New Policies Improved Teachers’ Salary in Ghana
Fortunately, following the implementation of the Single Spine Pay Policy that came into effect in 2010, teachers’ salaries in Ghana saw a remarkable improvement, especially in the public sector. This policy made room for teachers’ salaries to grow as they climb various cadres in the teaching profession. More so, the average teacher is placed on a salary that has made a world of difference in the lives and families of these teachers.
As of now, it is estimated that the average salary of a teacher in Ghana is 5,380 Ghana Cedis per month, bringing it up to 64,560 Ghana Cedis per year. When educational qualifications and other salient factors are considered, such as the level of the teacher, this figure could be significantly lower or higher.
Some teachers can earn about 2,580 Ghana Cedis monthly which will amount to 30,960 Ghana Cedis yearly (lowest average), while some can earn as high as 9,810 Ghana Cedis monthly which will amount to 117,720 Ghana Cedis yearly (maximum average). These figures are not exclusive from other benefits accrued on the job including housing and transportation.
Who Pays Teachers’ Salaries in Ghana?
Teachers who work in public schools are paid by the government likewise, their colleagues in the private sector are paid by the private institutions that they work for. More so, the public school teacher enjoys the benefit of job security and payment structure that has been determined and designed to follow a particular system.
However, private teachers do not always enjoy such job security, because they can lose their jobs at the will of their employers. Their pay rate might also not be as lucrative as those of their counterparts in the public sector as they are paid based on the value they add to their workplace.
Who Pays Teachers More Between Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa?
When teachers’ salaries in Ghana are compared to other countries like Nigeria and the South, it has been shown that South Africa compensates teachers more while Nigeria pays her teachers significantly lesser per hour than her Ghanaian and South African counterparts.
It hereby does not come as a surprise that a teacher from Nigeria would rather choose to practice his or her profession in Ghana if given the opportunity to choose between both countries. Better still, if he can easily relocate to South Africa, such a person might gladly do so in search of a better life.