The Ghana Education Service (GES) has officially acknowledged a petition submitted by a group of newly posted teachers who began duty in September 2024.
The petition, presented on Monday, June 23, 2025, highlighted long-standing concerns over unpaid salaries and delays in the issuance of Staff Identification Numbers (Staff IDs).
Background to Recruitment Challenges
In a statement dated 24th June, 2025, GES clarified that it recruited a total of 12,807 teacher trainees from various Colleges of Education in 2024. By the end of December that year, 9,950 of these teachers had been issued Staff IDs and received their salaries.
However, financial clearance complications meant that 2,113 teachers, despite having Staff IDs, remained unpaid.
A further 582 teachers are yet to be issued IDs due to discrepancies in their documentation—ranging from mismatched SSNIT and Ghana Card numbers to cases of unapproved reposting.
Steps Undertaken by GES
According to the statement, to rectify these anomalies, the newly inaugurated GES leadership launched a nationwide validation exercise between March 7 and March 14, 2025.
The initiative aimed to verify the legitimacy of recruitment records and resolve issues flagged in prior audits.
In addition, GES has established a technical committee that includes representatives of the affected teachers. This body is tasked with ensuring timely communication and coordinated resolution of grievances.
Crucially, letters have been forwarded through the Education Minister to the Ministry of Finance, appealing for an extension to the expired financial clearance.
In the statement, GES noted with optimism that the 2025 national budget includes provisions that could facilitate salary payments once the clearance is reinstated.
Call for Unity and Representation
While working to address the core issues, GES raised concerns about fragmented representation among the teachers.
The Management cited difficulties in tracking and engaging with shifting leadership and disparate advocacy groups.
“Each protest seems to be led by a different coalition,” GES noted, urging teachers to adopt a more unified and consistent approach to negotiations.
Path Forward
Despite the setbacks, GES reaffirmed its commitment to resolving the outstanding salary and documentation issues.
“We understand the frustration of our newly posted teachers,” said Daniel Fenyi, Public Relations Officer of GES, “but we ask for patience as we work through systemic challenges. Our goal is to ensure all eligible recruits are validated, processed, and paid without further delay.”
The Service reiterated its dedication to transparency and collaboration, assuring stakeholders that it remains focused on safeguarding the welfare of teachers and promoting quality education across the country.
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