The Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, has assured newly recruited teachers who have gone without salaries for thirteen months that their concerns are receiving urgent government attention, describing the situation as unacceptable and a violation of fair labour standards.
His commitment came after receiving a petition from the affected teachers who staged a protest to press home their demand for the payment of arrears owed them.
Addressing the group, the Minister acknowledged the depth of the teachers’ frustration, openly condemning the prolonged delay in paying salaries to thousands who have been serving diligently in classrooms across the country.
“Thirteen months without pay is unacceptable, and to assure you, I will walk the talk on the issue of the unfair labour treatment that has been meted out to you. It is not an acceptable labour practice anywhere that you will work for thirteen months without pay.”
Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu
Hon. Iddrisu admitted that the situation had been left unresolved for far too long, but he reassured the teachers that efforts were already underway to secure immediate redress. He disclosed that he had personally engaged the Minister for Finance, Hon. Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, on the matter and that the discussions had made significant progress toward a resolution.
“I met with the Honourable Minister for Finance on Tuesday, the 20th of this month, and we discussed your matter, and your matter is receiving parity of government. We are heading to Cabinet with a joint Cabinet Memo which will be signed and sponsored by me and the Honourable Dr. Ato Forson to make a strong case that, based on an estimation of both GES and TVET, we need 53,000 teachers.”
Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu
The Education Minister emphasized that the government recognizes the urgency of the problem, particularly for the 6,700 teachers who began work last year but have yet to receive a single salary payment.
According to him, their situation stands out among other recruitment and resource needs in the education sector. “The matter which requires urgent solution is 6,700 whose process started last year and has worked for thirteen months without payment,” he noted.
While acknowledging the broader human resource gaps within the education sector, Hon. Iddrisu highlighted the government’s plans for mass recruitment in the coming months. “Our estimation is for both GES and TVET, we need 53,000 teachers. I’m talking of their generality,” he said.
He, however, clarified that the immediate focus remains on resolving the plight of those who have already been engaged but unfairly left without compensation for their labour.
The Minister assured the protesting teachers that, once authorization from the Finance Ministry is finalized, payment of all salary arrears will begin without further delay. “Subsequent to Minister Forson’s authorization, we will effect the payment of your salary arrears,” he promised.
The affected teachers, who had converged earlier to submit their petition, have long complained that the non-payment of salaries has plunged many of them into severe financial hardship.
For over a year, they have struggled to survive without their expected income while still discharging their duties as frontline educators. Many described the experience as demoralizing and a sign of neglect of their contributions to the education system.
Hon. Iddrisu’s words of assurance, however, appeared to offer some relief. His acknowledgement that the teachers’ situation amounted to “unfair labour treatment” signaled not only empathy but also a recognition of the legal and ethical implications of the government’s delay.
The Education Minister’s intervention also underscores broader concerns about labour practices in Ghana’s public service. Labour unions and civil society groups have consistently argued that late salary payments or prolonged arrears represent a breach of the fundamental rights of workers, particularly in essential sectors like education.
The Education Ministry’s move to collaborate directly with the Finance Ministry through a joint Cabinet memorandum is a sign of seriousness and may set a precedent for faster resolution of similar matters in the future. The assurance that salary arrears will soon be paid also ties into broader government commitments to stabilize and strengthen the education sector as a whole.
Beyond the immediate issue of arrears, the Minister’s revelation that Ghana needs an estimated 53,000 new teachers across both GES and TVET highlights the scale of human resource challenges in education. With teacher shortages in many schools and classrooms already overstretched, recruitment and fair compensation are seen as crucial to delivering quality education in line with national policy goals.
In the meantime, the affected teachers await swift action following the Minister’s assurances. Many have expressed hope that this time, their plight will not be lost in bureaucratic delays but will result in concrete action and payment. For them, the past thirteen months have not only tested their resilience but also raised questions about how government prioritizes its commitments to workers who keep the education system running.
Hon. Iddrisu concluded his interaction with the teachers; his words reflected both a recognition of the hardship endured and a promise of imminent change. “Be assured that I am on top of the matter,” he reiterated. For the thousands of unpaid teachers, the proof of that assurance will be in the speed with which the government follows through to end their long wait.
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