Ghana's Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has announced that the government will begin paying outstanding promotion arrears owed to teachers, with at least 51,000 promoted teachers expected to have their new salary grades validated and their arrears paid by October 16, 2026. This announcement was made at the 2026 Teacher Prize ceremony in Accra. The Minister emphasized the government's commitment to addressing the concerns of teachers.
According to Minister Haruna Iddrisu, the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Controller and Accountant-General's Department have been directed to validate the records of at least 51,000 promoted teachers for placement on their new salary grades. He gave the GES and the Controller and Accountant-General up to 4 p.m. on October 5, 2026, to complete the validation process. The Minister assured that the arrears will be paid through a supplementary intervention on or before October 16.
Minister Haruna Iddrisu also announced that the remaining teachers among the approximately 80,000 beneficiaries would have their arrears and salary adjustments addressed by the end of October. He made this pledge on behalf of the President and stated that he would stand by it on October 30. The Minister is currently engaging with teacher unions on three major issues, including the expired collective agreement and conditions of service, the proposed 20 percent deprived-area allowance, and payment of promotion arrears.
The Education Minister emphasized that the government remains committed to fulfilling its manifesto pledge of providing a 20 percent deprived-area allowance to eligible teachers. However, he noted that relevant data needs to be validated to determine which teachers and locations qualify for the allowance. This validation is necessary due to teacher transfers from deprived areas to other parts of the country, raising questions about continued eligibility.
Minister Haruna Iddrisu also mentioned that the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission has been given the mandate, with the support of the Finance Ministry, to engage the teacher unions on their conditions of service. He appealed to teachers to end the industrial action and resume normal academic work, describing teachers as "architects of the future" and acknowledging the country's debt to the teaching profession.
The Minister announced plans for a new integrated model of basic education infrastructure, which will include kindergarten, primary, and junior high school facilities, as well as a changing room, laboratory, library, and ICT facilities. This model is expected to become the standard for basic education infrastructure under the government, with funding to be incorporated into the GETFund formula from 2027.
The initiative aims to address infrastructure deficits affecting basic education across Ghana, with plans for each region to begin constructing at least 10 such integrated schools. Minister Haruna Iddrisu reaffirmed the government's commitment to supporting teachers and improving the education system and urged striking teachers to return to the classroom.
Key points
- The Ghanaian government has committed to paying promotion arrears owed to all eligible teachers from January 2020.
- At least 51,000 promoted teachers are expected to have their new salary grades validated and their arrears paid by October 16, 2026.
- The government plans to construct integrated basic education infrastructure, including kindergarten, primary, and junior high school facilities, laboratory, library, and ICT facilities.
