Deputy Minister of Education Dr Clement Apaak has appealed to striking pre-tertiary teachers to return to the classroom while the government works to resolve their outstanding concerns.  

He said the government recognised the legitimacy of the teachers' demands and was committed to addressing issues relating to their promotions, salary adjustments, allowances, rural and underserved community incentives, and conditions of service.  

Dr Apaak appealed Bolgatanga during the 5th Upper East Regional Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards ceremony, where 15 journalists were recognised for their contributions to journalism.  

He explained that the delay in implementing new salary scales and consequential allowances for nearly 80,000 teachers who had passed promotional examinations was partly because of the challenges in transferring the relevant data from the Ghana Education Service (GES) to the Controller and Accountant-General's Department.  

The government had earlier agreed that promotions would be made automatic and that teachers would not be required to submit input forms, payslips and promotional letters before receiving their new salary scales and allowances. Dr Apaak said.  

He said the government had also agreed that the affected teachers would receive the new salaries and allowances with effect from January 2026, regardless of whether they wrote the promotional examinations in December 2025 or January 2026.  

On the proposed 20 per cent-plus salary incentive for teachers posted to rural, underserved and deprived communities, Dr Apaak said the government had assured the teacher unions that its implementation would begin next year.  

However, the government was working to clearly define which communities qualified as rural, underserved and deprived to ensure that the policy was implemented fairly.  

He said the issue also involved determining what would happen to a teacher's entitlement when the teacher was transferred from a qualifying community.  

The Deputy Minister said the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission had been engaged to meet the leadership of the teacher unions, while President John Dramani Mahama had also directed a high-level meeting involving the Ministers of Finance, Labour Relations and Employment, Education and the teacher unions to continue the negotiations.  

“We want to encourage you to continue,” appealing to the teachers to return to the classroom as the government worked to resolve the outstanding issues.  

“We can be assured that what is due to them, no matter how long it takes, it will come for their arrears,” Dr Apaak said.  

Dr Apaak stated that the government was concerned about the impact of the strike on pupils and students, stressing that teachers remained central to the development of the country.  

He said the absence of teachers from classrooms could undermine efforts at providing quality education and urged all parties to work together to resolve the impasse.  

“Without the teachers, we would not be here,” he said, describing teachers as “the most important group of professionals.”  

The 5th Upper East Regional GJA Awards was held under the theme, “Beyond the Headlines: The Media’s Role in Promoting WASH for Safe Motherhood and Quality Healthcare.”   

The awards ceremony was supported by Lesken Enterprise Ltd, Myturn Limited, KacStone Records, Paga Youth Movement, NorthLite Solar Ltd, ActionAid Ghana, Afrikids Ghana, NABOCADO, Endswell Pharmacy, MTN, Alafia, WaterAid Ghana, Widows and Orphans Movement, Ghana Tourism Authority, Ghana Hotels Association and AquaBolg Natural Water