The Council of State will today, Friday, October 9, hold a meeting with striking pre-tertiary teachers as part of efforts to resolve their grievances and facilitate their return to the classroom.

Representatives of the unions and Council members will meet at 1:00 p.m. at the Council’s Secretariat to explore possible measures to resolve the impasse.

The teachers are protesting delayed promotions, deprived-area allowances and negotiations on a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Ministry of Education, Haruna Iddrisu.

The unions have raised concerns over the proposed 10% increase in the digital allowance, which currently amounts to GH¢800 annually.

However, Haruna Iddrisu, has asked striking teachers across the country to hold him accountable if their outstanding promotion arrears are not paid by Friday, October 30.

While speaking at a two-day symposium and exhibition organised for teachers by the National Teaching Council (NTC) at the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Hall in Accra, Haruna Iddrisu said the government was committed to fulfilling its obligations to teachers by ensuring that all outstanding payments, including promotion arrears, were settled.

“The government has accepted that I am responsible for honouring my obligations as an employer to all teachers. And we have accepted that we will pay their arrears. We will honour them. If by October 30, your promotion arrears are not paid, then I will have no honour,” he added.

The government met on Monday, September 28, with the pre-tertiary teacher unions over their intended nationwide strike in protest against outstanding concerns regarding their conditions of service.

The meeting allowed both parties to explore possible measures. The meeting is expected to provide an opportunity for both parties to explore possible measures to resolve the outstanding issues.

Speaking to the media, President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Jacob Anaba, expressed optimism that the upcoming meeting would lead to meaningful progress in addressing their concerns and pave the way for a resolution of issues surrounding their conditions of service.

“Our reason for raising the issues is to resolve them so if there is an avenue for us to resolve them, we will avail ourselves and make sure that we resolve the issues.

“I had a call and was told the Ministry of Education called but whiles I was driving today, I had a call from the Chief Director of the Ministry of Employment, Jobs and Labour Relations that there is going to be a meeting and we will definitely be at the meeting to try and resolve our issues.”

At a press briefing in Accra on Friday, September 25, the unions directed all pre-tertiary teachers to stop working immediately until their concerns are addressed.

According to PRETAG President King Ali Awudu, attempts to negotiate a new agreement since last year have failed, and their conditions of service expired in June.

“You will recall that we have once engaged the media and informed you that our conditions of service have expired since June. All efforts to get a new one negotiated since last year have yielded no fruits.

“We are asking all teachers that with immediate effect, as soon as this information goes out, they should put all their tools down, leave the classroom, go home and have a very good rest and wait until they hear from leadership again,” he said.

Mr Awudu also noted that about 80,000 teachers who took aptitude tests in December 2025 and February 2026 were yet to be placed on the appropriate salary scale, despite an earlier agreement to do so and the processing of September salaries.

Meanwhile, it will be recalled that the Ghana Education Service (GES) in a press statement dated 16th October, announced that it has received financial clearance to pay the salaries of 6,249 teachers recruited in 2024.

These teachers had been working after their postings but hadn’t been placed on the government’s payroll; hence, they were not receiving salaries for their services.

However, after the Finance Ministry authorised that they could be paid, the education regulator announced that they can now start receiving salaries.

In Ghana’s public sector, recruits cannot be paid until the Ministry of Finance issues financial clearance. Consequently, GES, in the statement, noted that “This approval allows the Ghana Education Service to complete all necessary processes to ensure the staff receive their salaries. Although this financial clearance expires on 31st December 2025, Management of GES will ensure that all staff are placed on the mechanised payroll in time for November 2025 payments.”