Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has assured striking teachers that the government will settle outstanding teachers’ promotion arrears by October 30, 2026.
The Minister said the government has accepted responsibility for meeting its financial obligations to teachers and would ensure that those who had been promoted received the salaries and arrears due to them.
Speaking at a two-day symposium and exhibition organised by the National Teaching Council (NTC) at the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Hall in Accra, Haruna Iddrisu gave a firm commitment on the payment of the outstanding promotion arrears.
Also read: Freddie Blay accuses Mahama of ordering demolition of Polo Beach
“Government has accepted that I am responsible to honour my obligations as an employer to all teachers. And we have accepted that we will pay their arrears from January 2026 to yesterday. We will honour them,” he said.
The Education Minister added: “If by October 30, 2026, your promotion arrears are not paid, then I will have no honour.”
The assurance comes as thousands of pre-tertiary teachers remain on strike over several outstanding concerns, including delayed promotion-related payments, salary placement and conditions of service.
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Education Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) began a nationwide strike on September 25, demanding action from the government.
The unions have also raised concerns over delays in negotiations for a new collective agreement and the implementation of a proposed 20 per cent deprived-area allowance.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu’s latest assurance follows ongoing efforts by the government to verify the details of teachers affected by delayed promotions.
The Controller and Accountant-General’s Department is validating data covering up to 51,000 teachers to facilitate the payment process. According to the Education Minister, some affected teachers are expected to receive their new grades and related payments through their October salaries, while others will be covered through a supplementary payment schedule.
The Ghana Education Service has also been working to compile and submit the details of promoted teachers to the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department for processing.
The government previously indicated that data for about 29,000 teachers had been received for processing, while additional records are being compiled to cover more affected teachers.
The issue of teachers’ promotion arrears has been a longstanding source of concern in Ghana’s pre-tertiary education sector. Teacher unions have repeatedly called for teachers who successfully passed promotion examinations to be placed on their appropriate salary scales and paid arrears dating from January 2026.
The unions, however, have maintained that assurances alone will not be enough to end their industrial action.
They have demanded concrete evidence of implementation, including the reflection of new grades and arrears on teachers’ payslips and the crediting of the corresponding amounts to their accounts.