The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, says the Service is working to meet Monday’s deadline for submitting the details of promoted teachers for payroll processing.

Prof. Davis said GES was doing everything possible to complete the exercise by 4 p.m. on Monday, October 5, 2026, but noted that the decision to process the information electronically rested with the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD).

“We are doing everything possible to meet the deadline,” he said.

On the prospect of electronic processing, Prof. Davis said: “That is my wish, but that depends on CAGD.”

His comments come as the government seeks to resolve delays in placing promoted teachers on their appropriate salary grades, one of the concerns behind the ongoing nationwide teachers’ strike.

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu had directed the GES to submit outstanding promotion data to CAGD by Monday to enable the department to process the salaries of affected teachers on their new grades.

Regional directors and input officers were expected to support the exercise, with representatives of the teacher unions also participating.

The Monday deadline relates to the submission of promotion information for payroll processing and does not amount to a commitment to pay all outstanding salaries and arrears by that date.

The industrial action, which began on September 25, involves the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG).

Their demands include appropriate salary placement for promoted teachers, payment of outstanding promotion arrears, the conclusion of a new collective agreement and implementation of a 20% deprived-area allowance.

Dispute over documentation

The documentation required for salary adjustments has also become a point of contention.

In a statement reported on October 4, the unions’ Central Regional leadership urged CAGD to reconsider its requirement for individual teachers to submit hard copies of promotion letters and input forms.

They proposed that the GES provide a master list of duly promoted teachers, arguing that verification could preserve payroll accountability while avoiding unnecessary administrative burdens and delays for individual teachers.

Strike negotiations

Meanwhile, government negotiations with the unions have yet to secure a return to the classroom.

A high-level meeting on October 2 ended without an agreement to suspend the strike, with union leaders expected to consider the government’s latest proposals on Monday.

Prof. Davis had earlier appealed to teachers to resume work while discussions continued, warning that prolonged industrial action could undermine efforts to maintain a stable academic calendar.