The Controller and Accountant-General's Department (CAGD) in Ghana has revealed that only a small fraction of promised teacher promotions have been paid, deepening the standoff between the government and teacher unions. As of September 2026, CAGD has fully processed and paid 6,079 promotion cases, including all applicable arrears, as part of the September 2026 salary run. This development comes as classrooms across Ghana remain shut due to a nationwide strike by teacher unions.
According to CAGD, the 6,079 paid promotion cases represent just a portion of the 58,620 promotion cases expected from the Ghana Education Service (GES). This leaves more than 52,000 teachers still without the promotion pay they claim they are owed. The Department explains that GES submitted 6,079 completed input forms and corresponding promotion letters as of 22 September 2026, allowing CAGD to validate and process those specific cases.
The arrears attached to the paid promotions were backdated to take effect from 1 January 2026. CAGD maintains that it has cleared every valid case handed to it by GES, and that any teacher still waiting is affected by GES not yet submitting the required paperwork for that individual's case. The Department says it needs a duly completed promotion or change-of-grade input form together with the relevant promotion or upgrading letter before it can adjust a teacher's salary.
The CAGD's clarification comes as the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) have declared an immediate nationwide strike over unpaid promotion arrears and stalled negotiations on their conditions of service. The unions' action follows a planned meeting between the Education Ministry and teacher unions that had been scheduled for the Monday before the strike began.
The meeting was part of a broader effort to head off a shutdown of schools over the unresolved promotion and conditions-of-service disputes. The 2026 teachers' strike has centred on the same grievances now driving classrooms to a standstill. For the tens of thousands of teachers still without their promotion pay, the gap between the 58,620 expected cases and the 6,079 actually settled means continued financial uncertainty.
Pupils nationwide face disrupted learning for as long as the strike continues, since NAGRAT, GNAT, and PRETAG together represent a large share of Ghana's pre-tertiary teaching workforce. The CAGD is the government agency responsible for processing and paying salaries, pensions, and related benefits for public sector workers, including teachers. The GES is the body that manages Ghana's public basic and secondary schools and their staff.
The CAGD has called on the Ministry of Education, GES, and teacher unions to work together to resolve the outstanding cases, and has assured affected teachers that legitimate payments will go through once the necessary documents are validated. However, none of the sources provided indicate a new date for talks between the ministry, GES, CAGD, and the unions, nor a timeline for when the remaining promotion cases will be submitted or paid.
Key points
- CAGD paid 6,079 teacher promotion cases out of 58,620 expected from GES.
- Over 52,000 teachers still wait for promotion pay as strike continues.
- CAGD blames GES for not submitting required paperwork for outstanding cases.
