Ghana’s Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, has reassured newly recruited teachers that the government will urgently address their unpaid salaries, which have forced many to work for months without compensation.
Meeting the aggrieved teachers at the Jubilee House on Tuesday, September 30, after they presented a petition, Mr. Iddrisu condemned the situation as “an unacceptable labour practice.”
“I’m here to receive your humble petition and to assure you that I will walk the talk on the issue of the unfair labour treatment that has been meted out to you,” he said. “It is an unacceptable labour practice anywhere that you will work for 13 months without pay… Be assured that I’m on top of the matter.”
The minister revealed that he had already discussed the concerns with Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson on September 23. He added that a joint cabinet memorandum, to be co-signed by both ministries, will soon be presented for consideration.
Apart from resolving the arrears, Mr. Iddrisu announced plans to expand the teaching workforce, with 53,000 additional recruits expected to join the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector.
His comments followed a protest by teachers from the 2022 Colleges of Education batch and university graduates, who marched from Obra Spot at Kwame Nkrumah Circle to the Ministries of Education and Finance before converging at the Jubilee House.
The demonstrators, demanding payment of 13- and 9-month arrears respectively, said their patience had run out.
Lead convener Simon Kofi Nartey lamented that repeated efforts to get the issue resolved had been ignored, leaving them with no choice but to take to the streets. He warned that the crisis is about more than survival, stressing that the standard of education is at risk when young teachers cannot afford basic needs such as transport and housing.
