The government has made fresh commitments to striking teachers as it seeks to resolve outstanding concerns and restore teaching and learning in schools across Ghana by next week.
Minister for Education Haruna Iddrisu disclosed the latest proposals after meeting with the leadership of the teacher unions. He said a government negotiation team established on the directive of President John Dramani Mahama had engaged the unions in detailed discussions aimed at finding an early and amicable solution to the ongoing teachers’ strike.
The government team included the Ministers for Finance, Employment and Labour Relations, and Education, as well as the Controller and Accountant-General and the Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC).
According to Haruna Iddrisu, discussions focused on three major concerns raised by the teacher unions: promotion arrears, the proposed 20% deprived-area allowance, and expired conditions of service.
Government Addresses Teachers’ Promotion Arrears
On promotion arrears, the Education Minister said the government had committed to implementing the new grades of all promoted teachers on or before October 30, 2025, while efforts were also being made to settle outstanding payments dating back to January 2026.
He said the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department would begin validating data covering up to 51,000 teachers from Monday and prepare a supplementary payment schedule for those affected.
Teachers who are not included in that category, he explained, would have their outstanding promotion arrears incorporated into their October salaries.
The Minister urged teachers to consider returning to the classroom while government fulfils its commitment to resolving the payment challenges.
20% Deprived-Area Allowance for Teachers
The second major issue discussed was the 20% deprived-area allowance, which forms part of the government’s policy commitment to improve teacher retention and encourage educators to work in underserved communities.
Haruna Iddrisu said a committee involving representatives of the teacher unions and the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has been established to determine which communities and categories of teachers qualify for the allowance.
He explained that the policy requires a clear framework to identify rural and deprived communities and establish the eligibility criteria for teachers.
The Minister stressed that the proposed allowance would be location-specific rather than permanent. This means a teacher could qualify while working in a designated deprived community but lose the benefit after being transferred to a school in an area that does not meet the criteria.
He said the government would work with the relevant stakeholders to establish a transparent implementation mechanism and prevent abuse of the policy.
Teacher Unions to Resume Conditions of Service Negotiations
The third major issue concerns the unions’ expired conditions of service and collective agreement.
According to the Education Minister, teacher unions have been invited to return to the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission on Tuesday to resume negotiations.
He said the government expects the discussions to be completed within one week, paving the way for progress on the outstanding employment conditions affecting teachers.
Haruna Iddrisu thanked the teacher unions for engaging with the government and said the unions would now consult their members on the proposals presented during the negotiations.
Government Appeals for End to Teachers’ Strike
The Education Minister reiterated that the government’s immediate priority is to restore normal academic activities and protect the stability of the September academic calendar.
He expressed hope that schools would resume normal teaching and learning activities sometime next week following further consultations between the unions and their members.
Meanwhile, responding to concerns raised by the Tertiary Universities Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG), Haruna Iddrisu said the demand for a one-off payment of book and research allowances, as well as post-retirement contracts for professors, senior members and librarians, would be reviewed by the Minister for Finance.
He said the proposal would subsequently be presented for Cabinet consideration, while appealing to the affected university teachers to suspend their industrial action and return to work.
The latest engagements form part of government’s efforts to resolve the Ghana teachers’ strike, address teacher welfare concerns and ensure the uninterrupted delivery of education across the country.
Source: newsthemegh.com