- GES invites around 100 protesting teachers for a closed-door dialogue
- Teachers demand resolution of 10 months of unpaid salaries
- Staff ID delays affecting over 700 newly posted teachers across Ghana
In an effort to ease escalating unrest, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has convened a closed-door meeting with approximately 100 frustrated teachers facing months of unpaid salaries and delayed issuance of staff ID numbers.
The teachers, part of the 2022 cohort from various Colleges of Education, began picketing outside the GES headquarters in Accra on the morning of Monday, June 23. They are demanding immediate action to resolve ten months of salary arrears and the prolonged delay in processing their staff identification.
Breaking from the usual practice of engaging solely with union representatives, the GES chose to include a broader group of affected teachers in the discussion. According to Daniel Fenyi, the GES Public Relations Officer, this approach aims to promote transparency and provide a platform for teachers to express their grievances directly.
In preparation for the meeting, Fenyi asked media representatives to temporarily leave the premises, promising a full briefing afterward. While some protestors initially refused, chanting “no media, no interview,” they eventually complied.
The teachers—784 in total from all sixteen regions—say they’ve lost faith in GES promises.
“I’ve studied for four years, served my country, passed my licensure exams—what have I done wrong? Is choosing to teach a crime? It’s been ten whole months,” said Serwaa Korang, a mother and one of the protesting teachers.
Charity Amponsah echoed the sentiment, saying, “We’ve endured poor working conditions, and now we’re not even being paid. Why are teachers treated this way?”
Maxwell Adogo, assigned to the North East Region, described his situation: “I live in Ashaiman but was posted to Chereponi. I’m the only new teacher at my school, still without a staff ID. There’s no potable water there, not even to cook. How am I supposed to survive without a salary?”
The outcome of the GES meeting is expected to influence the next steps in addressing the longstanding salary delays and staff ID issues.
