Deputy Education Minister appeals to striking teachers to return to classrooms

Dr Clement Apaak, Deputy Minister of Education, has urged striking pre-tertiary teachers to resume teaching while the government resolves their concerns. He stated that the government acknowledged the teachers' demands and was committed to addressing issues such as promotions, salary adjustments, allowances, rural and underserved community incentives, and working conditions.

During the 5th Upper East Regional Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards ceremony, Dr Apaak emphasized the government's recognition of the teachers' legitimacy and their commitment to resolving outstanding issues. The delay in implementing new salary scales and subsequent allowances for nearly 80,000 teachers who had passed promotional exams was partly due to difficulties in transferring data from the Ghana Education Service (GES) to the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department.

To rectify this, the government agreed that promotions would be automatic and that teachers would receive their new salary scales and allowances from January 2026, regardless of when they took the promotional exams. The government also assured that teachers working in rural, underserved, and deprived communities would receive a 20% salary increment starting next year, once the qualifying communities are clearly defined.

The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission has been involved in discussions with teacher unions, and President John Dramani Mahama directed a high-level meeting with key ministers and unions to continue negotiations. Dr Apaak stressed that the teachers' absence from classrooms could negatively impact students' education and urged them to return while the government worked towards resolving their concerns.