The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has assured teachers that the government will fulfil its commitment to pay eligible beneficiaries their outstanding promotion-related salary adjustments by October 16, 2026.

The minister gave the assurance on Monday during a visit to the Osu Presbyterian Cluster of Schools in Accra to monitor teaching and learning following the return of teachers to the classroom after the suspension of a nationwide strike.

Mr Iddrisu said the government remained committed to honouring the agreements reached with the teacher unions, adding that administrative processes were underway to facilitate payments to teachers whose promotion records had been validated.

“My assurance is that the government will honour our part of the bargain,” he said.

The assurance follows engagements between the government and the three major pre-tertiary teacher unions over outstanding promotion arrears, salary adjustments, allowances and conditions of service. 

Validation Underway

The minister explained that the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Controller and Accountant-General's Department (CAGD) were undertaking the necessary administrative checks to ensure that eligible teachers were placed on the appropriate salary scales following their promotions.

The validation exercise is intended to confirm promotion records, effective dates and the corresponding salary adjustments before payments are authorised.

The Controller and Accountant-General, Kwasi Agyei, had earlier indicated that the department was processing records for approximately 52,000 teachers. Cases validated by the October 16 deadline were expected to be paid through a supplementary process, while cases cleared after the deadline would be captured in the November payroll.

The distinction means that the October 16 commitment depends on the successful validation of individual records and does not necessarily cover every outstanding case.

Strike Suspension and Government Commitments

The salary-adjustment assurance forms part of the commitments made during engagements that led to the suspension of industrial action by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers' Association of Ghana (PRETAG).

The unions had embarked on the strike on September 25 over delays in placing promoted teachers on their appropriate salary scales, unpaid promotion-related allowances and arrears, and concerns about conditions of service.

Following discussions with the government and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), the unions announced the suspension of the strike on October 9 and directed members to return to work on October 12.

The parties agreed to continue discussions on outstanding matters while efforts were made to fulfil the government's payment commitments. 

Deprived-Area Allowance Still Under Review

Addressing the proposed 20 per cent deprived-area allowance, Mr Iddrisu said further validation was required to identify eligible teachers and determine which geographical areas qualified for the benefit.

He explained that the exercise would establish clear criteria for determining beneficiaries and qualifying locations, taking into account the possibility of teachers being transferred between communities.

The government has indicated that the modalities for payment of the allowance would be announced in January 2027, according to earlier statements by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission. 

Government Seeks Lasting Resolution

The minister acknowledged the financial and administrative challenges associated with meeting the outstanding obligations but said the government remained prepared to engage the unions to resolve their concerns.

He expressed appreciation to teacher-union leaders and members for their cooperation in suspending the strike, describing the return to the classroom as an important step towards restoring stability in schools.

The coming days will be crucial in determining how many teachers receive their salary adjustments by the October 16 deadline and how the remaining cases are handled.

For affected teachers, the immediate priority remains the timely payment of outstanding arrears and the correct placement of their salaries to reflect their new ranks.

Photo courtesy: Hon. Haruna Iddrisu.