The Ghana Education Service (GES) is working against time to submit details of promoted teachers for payroll processing by Monday, October 5, 2026, as government steps up efforts to address concerns at the centre of the ongoing teachers’ strike.
The Director-General of the GES, Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, said the Service was doing everything possible to complete the submission by 4 p.m. on Monday.
“We are doing everything possible to meet the deadline,” Prof. Davis said.
He explained, however, that while the GES was responsible for compiling and submitting the required promotion information, the decision on whether the data would ultimately be processed electronically rested with the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD).
Asked about the possibility of electronic processing, Prof. Davis said: “That is my wish, but that depends on CAGD.”
The development follows a directive from the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, for 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 have been supporting the exercise, with representatives of the teacher unions also expected to participate in the process.
The Monday deadline, however, relates specifically to the submission of promotion information for payroll processing. It does not constitute a commitment that all outstanding promotion salaries and arrears will be paid by that date.
Teachers’ strike remains unresolved
The payroll issue is among several concerns raised by organised teacher unions, which have been on strike since September 25.
The industrial action involves the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG).
The unions are demanding appropriate salary placement for promoted teachers, payment of outstanding promotion arrears, the conclusion of a new collective agreement and implementation of a 20 per cent deprived-area allowance.
The documentation required to effect salary adjustments has also emerged as a point of contention between the unions and the authorities.
In a statement reported on October 4, the Central Regional leadership of the unions urged CAGD to reconsider its requirement for individual teachers to submit hard copies of promotion letters and input forms.
The unions proposed that the GES instead submit a master list of teachers who have been duly promoted. They argued that such a system could allow for verification and payroll accountability while reducing the administrative burden and potential delays associated with individual submissions.
Talks continue
Meanwhile, negotiations between government and the teacher unions have yet to result in an agreement for the teachers to return to the classroom.
A high-level meeting held on October 2 ended without an agreement to suspend the industrial action, with union leaders expected to consider the government’s latest proposals on Monday.
Prof. Davis had earlier appealed to teachers to return to work while discussions continued.
He cautioned that a prolonged strike could have implications for the academic calendar and undermine efforts to maintain stability in pre-tertiary education.
The GES’ efforts to meet Monday’s payroll submission deadline are therefore being closely watched as government and the unions continue negotiations to resolve the wider issues that triggered the industrial action.
Story by Freedom Etsey Lavoe
