The Ghana Education Service and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department have been ordered to validate the records of at least 51,000 promoted teachers by 5 October. Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu said this step is to ensure these teachers are placed on their new salary grades and receive promotion arrears by 16 October 2026.
Iddrisu made the announcement at the 2026 Teacher Prize ceremony in Accra, where he also called on striking teachers to return to classrooms while government negotiates with unions. He confirmed that the government has committed to paying promotion arrears owed to all eligible teachers dating back to January 2020.
“I have given the GES and the Controller and Accountant-General up to 4 p.m. today, 5 October, to validate at least not less than 51,000 promoted teachers to be put on their new salary grades and their arrears paid through a supplementary intervention on or before 16 October,” Iddrisu said.
The minister added that the remaining teachers among roughly 80,000 beneficiaries will have their arrears and salary adjustments completed by the end of October. “I give you that pledge, and I’ll stand in on 30 October on behalf of the President,” he said.
The government is currently engaged in talks with teacher unions on three major issues: the expired collective agreement and conditions of service, a proposed 20 percent deprived-area allowance, and the payment of promotion arrears.
Regarding the deprived-area allowance, Iddrisu said the government wants the relevant data validated to determine which teachers and locations qualify. He noted that teachers can be transferred from deprived areas, which complicates eligibility. “Government and the unions must therefore agree on clear criteria to determine who qualifies for and who receives the allowance,” he said.
The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, supported by the Finance Ministry, has been mandated to engage teacher unions on their conditions of service, according to Iddrisu.
The minister urged teachers to halt the ongoing industrial action and resume normal academic work. “Teachers are architects of the future,” he said, adding that the country owes much of its development to the profession. He acknowledged that many teachers work under difficult conditions and that improvements are necessary but called for cooperation among all stakeholders to improve economic management and address teachers’ concerns.
At the ceremony, Iddrisu also unveiled plans for a new integrated basic education infrastructure model. Future school complexes will include kindergarten, primary, and junior high facilities, alongside changing rooms, laboratories, libraries, and ICT centres.
The government intends to incorporate funding for this initiative into the GETFund formula starting in 2027, with plans for each region to begin constructing at least ten such integrated schools. The move aims to address infrastructure deficits affecting basic education nationwide.
The announcement comes amid ongoing tensions between the government and teacher unions, with strikes affecting academic activities. The validation and payment of promotion arrears will be watched closely as a test of government resolve and union responsiveness.
According to 3News.
