The Ministry of Education has declared that arrangements are in progress to compensate 3,200 teachers who have been without salaries for nearly 10 months.
During the inauguration of the ADEA Triennale on Education Conference, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu disclosed that the Cabinet has sanctioned the payment of salaries owed to newly appointed teachers, which includes graduates from Colleges of Education and universities.
“A few weeks ago, the chief director and I received a petition from several teachers expressing their dissatisfaction with the government regarding their unpaid salaries for several months. I am pleased to announce that the cabinet has approved the absorption of 6,200 teachers.
“We will initiate the process in due time. They will receive back pay. I believe I can represent both ministries in this regard. The Cabinet has granted the Minister of Finance permission to allocate approximately 1.1 billion Ghana Cedis to absorb a specific group of health workers and teachers,” he stated.
Mr. Iddrisu also disclosed intentions to launch an equity distribution initiative aimed at upgrading certain Category B schools to Category A status. He indicated that this initiative is designed to alleviate placement difficulties, where numerous students face challenges in securing admission to their desired Category A schools.
However, he emphasized that the ministry would need sufficient budgetary support to enhance infrastructure in the targeted schools.
“The ministry recognizes that there is a considerable challenge with 76,000 vacancies and 393,000 qualified applicants eager to fill them. This situation is described as nearly impossible.
“To tackle equity and capacity issues, the Minister has conferred with the President regarding a plan for 2026 to convert at least 10 Category C schools to Category B, and 10 Category B schools to Category A. This conversion will be supported by infrastructure development, which includes available classroom blocks, dormitories for students, and quality enhancements through improved teaching and learning materials and aids.
“However, I will require financial support and allocation to accomplish that,” he stated.
The declaration comes after a petition was submitted on Tuesday, September 30, by the Coalition of Unpaid Teachers — consisting of graduates from Colleges of Education and universities — to the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance regarding 13 months of unpaid salaries.
After receiving the petition, the Education Minister assured the teachers that a collaborative memorandum with the Ministry of Finance would be forwarded to the Cabinet to address their issues.
