Teachers across the country have expressed frustration over delays in their promotion placements and the payment of financial benefits attached to their new ranks, despite assurances that the process would be completed by August 31, 2026.
The concerns follow calls by the three major pre-tertiary teacher unions — the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) — for urgent action to resolve the issue.
The unions have called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ministry of Education to ensure the automatic placement of newly promoted teachers on their appropriate grades and salary scales.
They say more than 100,000 teachers who successfully passed the 2025 promotion examinations have remained on their old salary scales for more than a year, despite completing the required processes.
The GES had earlier assured newly promoted teachers that they would be automatically placed on the appropriate salary scales corresponding to their new ranks. The Service also directed teachers to disregard requests for additional documents specifically for salary adjustments, maintaining that the automatic placement arrangement had not changed.
However, the teacher unions have raised concerns over what they describe as administrative delays and conflicting directives involving the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department.
Speaking on unpaid salaries and delayed promotion placements on Ahotor FM’s Adekyee Mu Nsem programme in Accra on Monday, August 31, 2026, the Head of Salaries at the Ghana National Association of Teachers, Mr Isaac Baah, said teachers deserve fair treatment and the financial benefits attached to their promotions.
Mr Baah said while other public-sector workers, including soldiers and police officers, have received attention regarding their conditions of service, teachers continue to face challenges with promotions and related payments.
He said many teachers have waited for several years to be promoted and are frustrated that, even after successfully completing the required promotion processes and examinations, they have not been placed on their new ranks and salary scales.
According to him, some teachers who went through the promotion process last year have been waiting for their results and subsequent placement by the Ghana Education Service.
He explained that after the results were released, the Ghana Education Service provided some lists and indicated that further processes would be undertaken.
Mr Baah said promotion letters were subsequently prepared and sent to the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department, but administrative delays have continued to affect the process.
He alleged that a similar situation occurred last year, when some promotion letters were misplaced, resulting in further delays for affected teachers.
Mr Baah said teachers were expecting the authorities to fulfil their assurance that all qualified teachers would be placed in the positions they deserve by August 31.
«“We are unhappy with the delay. They told us that today, August 31, everyone would be placed in the positions that they deserve,” he said.»
He added that although teachers have received their salaries, the promotion-related financial adjustments have not reflected in their payments, leaving affected teachers disappointed and frustrated.
The development comes after GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG warned that they could no longer restrain teachers from taking industrial action if the August 31 deadline was not met.
The unions have also argued that teachers should not suffer financial losses because of administrative delays beyond their control. They have therefore called for the effective date of salary placement to reflect the period when the teachers became entitled to their new ranks.
Meanwhile, Mr Baah said the Ministry of Education has contacted the affected teachers for a meeting, expressing hope that the matter will be resolved.
He said teachers are hopeful that their promotion placements and corresponding financial benefits will be addressed following the engagement with the authorities.
The teachers are therefore appealing to the Ghana Education Service, the Ministry of Education and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department to urgently resolve the issue and ensure that all qualified teachers receive their promotions and corresponding financial benefits without further delays.
Mr Isaac Baah, Head of Salaries at the Ghana National Association of Teachers, was speaking on unpaid salaries and promotion placements on Ahotor FM’s Adekyee Mu Nsem programme in Accra on August 31, 2026.
Story By Stephen Kwaku Owusu Mintah
Ahotoronline, Accra
