A group calling itself the Aggrieved Newly Posted Teachers has issued a one-week ultimatum to the government, demanding the immediate payment of salaries that have been outstanding for up to 12 months.
The group, comprising graduates from colleges of education and universities, has warned that it will stage a mass protest on September 30 if its demands are not met.
The decision to demonstrate comes after the group’s initial deadline of September 23 passed without a response from the Ministry of Education.
The lead convener, Simon Kofi Nartey, stated that despite a petition submitted on September 8 to the ministry and other relevant authorities, their concerns have been largely ignored.
According to the group’s data, newly posted teachers from colleges of education have been working for a full year—12 months—without receiving a single salary payment, while their counterparts from universities have gone without pay for eight months.
“It is rather unfortunate that as we speak, nothing has been done about the concerns we raised at our press conference,” Nartey told Citi News. “We have no option but to take to the streets to let Ghanaians know what is happening. We have already met with the Greater Accra Regional Police Command and agreed on September 30 for the demonstration.”
The planned protest highlights a recurring issue in Ghana’s education sector, where newly recruited public sector workers often face significant delays in receiving their first salaries.
According to a 2024 report by the Institute for Education Studies (IFEST), an estimated 70% of newly posted teachers in Ghana experience a salary payment delay of more than four months.
The teacher-to-student ratio in Ghana makes the role of these new teachers critical to the country’s educational framework.
Their financial distress not only affects their personal lives but also has a direct impact on the quality of education delivered, as many struggle to meet basic needs like transportation to school and accommodation.
The group’s scheduled protest is a direct appeal to the public and government to address their plight and ensure that educators, who are crucial to the country’s development, are fairly compensated in a timely manner.
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