Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has assured Ghanaian teachers that the government is committed to resolving their outstanding grievances. Speaking at the Ghana Teacher Prize ceremony, he noted that the government had initiated processes to address concerns raised by teacher unions and improve conditions of service in the education sector. The minister emphasized the government's commitment to fulfilling its manifesto pledge on the payment of a deprived-area allowance to teachers serving in underserved communities.
The Education Minister stated that discussions were ongoing to validate data on deprived schools and communities to determine who qualified for the allowance and ensure its effective implementation. He expressed confidence in the government's commitment to the manifesto pledge, saying that the validation of data was the next step towards implementation. The minister also disclosed that the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, with the support of the Ministry of Finance, would engage teacher unions on their expired collective agreement on conditions of service.
Haruna Iddrisu revealed that the government had committed resources to clear outstanding promotion arrears to teachers. The Ghana Education Service, in collaboration with relevant institutions, had been tasked with validating the records of teachers who had been promoted but were yet to receive their new salary grades and associated arrears. The exercise was expected to cover more than 51,000 teachers, and the government would make necessary financial arrangements to settle the outstanding arrears.
The Education Minister commended teachers for their contribution to Ghana's development, describing them as the "architects" of every profession. He emphasized that no profession was possible without teachers and therefore, they deserved recognition and celebration. The minister also disclosed that President John Dramani Mahama had approved a new integrated model for basic education infrastructure, which aimed to bring key basic education facilities together within a single development.
The proposed integrated model would include kindergarten, primary, and junior high school facilities, as well as laboratories, libraries, and information technology facilities. The government had directed Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies to ensure that new basic education infrastructure reflected the integrated model. This initiative was part of efforts to address infrastructure deficits in the education sector, particularly the large number of schools without electricity.
According to the Education Minister, about 10,750 schools across Ghana were still without electricity, affecting approximately three million children. The government would work to mobilize resources through appropriate funding mechanisms to reduce the infrastructure deficit and ensure that pupils and teachers had access to better learning environments. Meanwhile, the President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers, Mr. Prosper Tachie, called for the empowerment of teachers in three key areas: legal authority, professional confidence, and economic security.
Mr. Tachie emphasized that teachers needed the legal authority to perform their professional responsibilities, including maintaining discipline in schools, while also having the confidence and financial security to meet their basic needs. He cited a World Bank report on the global teaching profession published in May 2026, which emphasized the importance of teachers to the skills development of the global workforce. The government and teacher unions would need to work together to address these concerns and improve the conditions of service for Ghanaian teachers.
Key points
- The Ghanaian government has committed to addressing teachers' conditions of service, including the payment of promotion arrears and implementation of the deprived-area allowance.
- Over 51,000 Ghanaian teachers are expected to benefit from the government's efforts to clear outstanding promotion arrears.
- The government aims to reduce the infrastructure deficit in the education sector, particularly the large number of schools without electricity.
