BY NADIA NTIAMOAH
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has issued a one-month ultimatum to the Ghana Education Service (GES) and other key government institutions to resolve long-standing concerns over teachers’ promotions, career progression and conditions of service, warning that failure to act could result in industrial action across the country’s education sector.
The warning follows a meeting of the Association’s National Executive Council held on August 7, 2026, at the GNAT Headquarters in Accra, where the leadership expressed dissatisfaction with what it described as persistent delays in addressing critical administrative and welfare issues affecting thousands of teachers within the Ghana Education Service.
According to GNAT, despite several engagements with the relevant authorities, many teachers who have successfully completed the required promotion processes are yet to be officially placed in their new ranks or receive the salaries and other financial benefits associated with their promotions.
The Association said the prolonged delays have left affected teachers performing responsibilities attached to higher positions without receiving the corresponding remuneration and official recognition, creating widespread frustration and financial hardship among members.
GNAT warned that unless the outstanding issues are fully resolved by September 7, 2026, it would have no option but to consider appropriate industrial action to protect the interests of its members.
As part of its demands, the Association has directed the Ghana Education Service to ensure that all outstanding promotion placements are completed by August 31, 2026.
According to GNAT, this deadline is in line with assurances previously given by the Ghana Education Service in a press statement issued on July 28, 2026, committing itself to addressing the outstanding placements.
The Association insists that teachers who have duly earned promotions after satisfying all required procedures must immediately be placed on their new salary scales and receive all benefits attached to their upgraded positions.
GNAT believes continued delays are undermining staff morale, disrupting career development and creating uncertainty within the teaching profession at a time when government is seeking to improve educational outcomes across the country.
Beyond promotion placements, the Association also raised concerns over what it described as an administrative bottleneck affecting officers within the Directors I and Directors II grades of the Ghana Education Service.
According to GNAT, the current arrangement, which ties these grades to appointments as District Directors and Regional Directors, has significantly limited opportunities for professional advancement and contributed to career stagnation among qualified education officers.
The Association is therefore demanding that the Directors I and Directors II ranks be decoupled from the positions of District and Regional Directors to create a more flexible and equitable promotion structure within the Ghana Education Service.
GNAT has consequently called on the Ghana Education Service, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the Public Services Commission (PSC) to expedite all outstanding administrative processes to ensure affected officers are appropriately placed in accordance with existing public service regulations.
The Association further indicated that the implementation of these reforms is consistent with a directive issued by the President of the Republic and urged the relevant institutions to act without further delay.
