The Ghana Education Service (GES) is working to meet a Monday deadline to submit the details of promoted teachers for payroll processing. According to Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis, acting Director General of the GES, the Service is doing everything possible to complete the exercise by 4 p.m. on Monday, October 5, 2026. However, the decision to process the information electronically rests with the Controller and Accountant-General's Department (CAGD).
The deadline relates to the submission of promotion information for payroll processing and does not amount to a commitment to pay all outstanding salaries and arrears by that date. Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu had directed the GES to submit outstanding promotion data to CAGD by Monday to enable the department to process the salaries of affected teachers on their new grades. Regional directors and input officers are expected to support the exercise, with representatives of the teacher unions also participating.
The industrial action, which began on September 25, involves the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG). Their demands include appropriate salary placement for promoted teachers, payment of outstanding promotion arrears, the conclusion of a new collective agreement, and implementation of a 20% deprived-area allowance.
There is a dispute over documentation required for salary adjustments. The unions' Central Regional leadership has urged CAGD to reconsider its requirement for individual teachers to submit hard copies of promotion letters and input forms. They propose that the GES provide a master list of duly promoted teachers, arguing that verification could preserve payroll accountability while avoiding unnecessary administrative burdens and delays for individual teachers.
Government negotiations with the unions have yet to secure a return to the classroom. A high-level meeting on October 2 ended without an agreement to suspend the strike, with union leaders expected to consider the government's latest proposals on Monday. Prof. Davis had earlier appealed to teachers to resume work while discussions continued, warning that prolonged industrial action could undermine efforts to maintain a stable academic calendar.
The GES has expressed its wish for electronic processing of teachers' data, but this decision rests with CAGD. According to Prof. Davis, "That is my wish, but that depends on CAGD." The GES is working to resolve delays in placing promoted teachers on their appropriate salary grades, one of the concerns behind the ongoing nationwide teachers' strike.
The strike continues, with teachers yet to return to the classroom. The Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, has assured that the government is working to address the concerns of the teachers. He stated that he would have no honour if the arrears of the teachers are not paid by October 30. The situation remains tense as the government and teacher unions continue to negotiate.
Key points
- The Ghana Education Service aims to meet the Monday deadline to submit promotion data of striking teachers to the Controller and Accountant-General's Department for payroll processing.
- The industrial action by teachers' unions has yet to secure a return to the classroom despite government negotiations.
- The dispute over documentation required for salary adjustments has become a point of contention between the teacher unions and the Controller and Accountant-General's Department.
