A total of 56,003 teachers of the Ghana Education Service (GES) have received promotion-related salary adjustments and arrears from the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) ahead of the October 16 deadline.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by the CAGD and signed by its Head of Public Relations, Cephas N. Dosoo, on October 16. According to the statement the payments were made to teachers successfully met checks by the GES and as well as verified to meet payroll requirements.

Giving details of the payments, the statement noted that 49,725 teachers received their promotion-related salary adjustments and arrears in October, while the remaining 6,278 teachers were paid in September. The two groups bring the total number of beneficiaries to 56,003.

“Of this number, 49,725 received their payments on 15 October 2026, together with their October salaries. These payments covered salary adjustments and arrears from 1 January 2026. A further 6,278 teachers were paid in September 2026,” it said.

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG), declared a nationwide strike on September 25.

The unions are demanding payment of outstanding promotion arrears and salary adjustments for promoted teachers, progress on negotiations for a new collective agreement and conditions of service, as well as the implementation of the 20% deprived-area allowance.

A crunch meeting held on Tuesday, October 5, between the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the teacher unions ended without an agreement.

Speaking to the media after Tuesday’s meeting, General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Thomas Musa, urged teachers to remain resolute as the unions await concrete timelines from government.

The unions want clear timelines for the completion of the outstanding processes and payment of the financial obligations owed to affected teachers.

The strike has disrupted teaching and learning in public pre-tertiary schools across the country, with the unions insisting that concrete commitments are needed before they will consider calling off the action.

The government, however, says it remains committed to resolving the concerns and has continued engaging with the unions through the FWSC and GES.

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu also appealed to the striking teachers to return to the classroom, assuring them that the government is working towards an amicable resolution of the issues.

He previously announced that the 20% deprived-area allowance would be paid after the validation of eligible teachers is completed.