The Ghana Education Service (GES) has secured government approval for the payment of salary arrears owed to newly recruited teachers across the country, bringing relief to hundreds of affected staff who have endured months without pay.
According to GES, the approval covers teachers who were recruited into the service but experienced delays in the processing of their salaries due to administrative and validation challenges. The development follows sustained engagements between the Service and the Ministry of Finance to resolve the issue.
In a statement, GES acknowledged the difficulties faced by the teachers and expressed appreciation for their patience and commitment to duty despite the financial strain. It assured that processes have been finalised to ensure that the outstanding arrears are paid within the shortest possible time.
The Service explained that the delays were largely due to the need to verify recruitment records, validate staff postings, and clean up payroll data to eliminate discrepancies. It added that such measures were necessary to ensure transparency and prevent irregular payments.
GES further indicated that steps have been taken to streamline its recruitment and payroll systems to avoid a recurrence of similar challenges in the future. These include closer coordination with relevant government institutions and the adoption of improved digital systems for staff management.
The Ministry of Finance, which granted the approval, is expected to release the required funds to facilitate the payments, while GES works to ensure that all affected teachers receive what is due them.
Education stakeholders have welcomed the move, noting that timely payment of salaries is critical to maintaining morale and productivity within the teaching profession. Many have also called for sustained reforms to address systemic inefficiencies that often lead to such delays.
The Ghana Education Service reiterated its commitment to improving the welfare of teachers and ensuring that all staff are duly compensated for their work as part of efforts to enhance the quality of education delivery in Ghana.
