About 28,000 teachers and other education staff may not receive their promotion salary arrears with their October 2026 salaries, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has said, as he called an emergency meeting with teacher unions on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, the Minister said the government has paid promotion arrears to about 52,000 teachers who completed validation, out of roughly 80,000 who were demanding payment. “What is outstanding is around twenty-eight thousand,” he said.
He explained that the remaining group, which includes some non-teachers, may not be paid when October salaries start going out from Wednesday, October 28, because their validation is not complete.
The disclosure comes weeks after teachers suspended their two-week nationwide strike and returned to the classroom on the promise that promotion arrears would be paid by October 16.
Haruna Iddrisu calls emergency meeting with teacher unions
The Minister said he had already reached out to union leaders and would meet them before the close of Tuesday to deal with the outstanding validation problems.
“I am compelled to invite the teacher unions to an emergency meeting this morning,” he said.
He also urged the affected teachers not to resume their strike, saying the government remains committed to clearing the arrears.
28,000 teachers’ promotion arrears may need supplementary funding
According to the Minister, the government is considering a supplementary allocation so the outstanding claims can be processed again and paid.
“Not all of them may get their October salary; we may have to do another supplementary payment or push it to November,” he said.
He added that the government could not hold back salaries nationwide just to complete the validation of the remaining group. “We cannot delay payment of salary across the country to validate them,” he said.
The government is now targeting mid- to end-November 2026 to pay the affected staff.
How many teachers have received promotion arrears so far
Figures from the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) give a fuller picture of where payments stand. In a statement reported by the Ghana News Agency on October 16, the CAGD said it had paid promotion-related salary adjustments and arrears, effective January 1, 2026, to 56,003 Ghana Education Service (GES) teachers.
- Promotions reported: about 80,000
- Paid in September 2026: 6,278 teachers
- Paid on October 15 with October salaries: 49,725 teachers
- Total paid (CAGD): 56,003 teachers
- Pending over verification issues: 630 cases
- Not yet processed (documents not submitted by GES): 23,367 cases
- Outstanding (Minister’s figure): about 28,000
The CAGD said it had paid every teacher whose submitted records met payroll requirements. The October 16 date was agreed at an October 2 meeting between government and teacher unions at the Ministry of Education.
Why teachers went on strike over promotion arrears
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) declared a nationwide strike on September 25, 2026.
Among their demands, the unions wanted teachers who passed promotion exams in December 2025 and February 2026 placed on the correct salary scales, with arrears paid from January 2026. They also raised the delayed new Collective Agreement and the Deprived Area Allowance.
What it means for teachers
Teachers who were promoted but have not been validated should not expect their arrears in the October salary paid from October 28.
Those affected will have to wait for the outcome of the emergency meeting and any supplementary payment, which the government says it hopes to make by mid- or end-November.
Teachers who believe their records are incomplete may need to follow up with their district GES offices, since the CAGD says unprocessed cases are waiting on supporting documents from the GES.
What happens next
The Ministry of Education is expected to meet union leaders by the end of Tuesday, October 27, to resolve the validation issues.
October salaries are set to be paid from October 28. The government will then decide whether to fund the remaining arrears through a supplementary allocation or roll them into November.
The unions have not yet publicly responded to the Minister’s latest disclosure.
Key points to take note
- About 28,000 teachers and staff are still owed promotion arrears.
- About 52,000 teachers were paid by October 16, per the Minister; the CAGD puts the figure at 56,003.
- Roughly 80,000 promotions were reported in total.
- Unpaid staff may miss the October salary payment starting October 28.
- Government may use a supplementary allocation or push payment to November.
- Target date for clearing the arrears: mid- to end-November 2026.
- Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu met teacher unions in an emergency meeting on October 27.
FAQs – 28,000 Teachers May Miss Promotion Arrears in October Salary as Haruna Iddrisu Calls Emergency Union Meeting
When will the remaining teachers’ promotion arrears be paid?
The government is targeting mid- to end-November 2026, possibly through a supplementary allocation, once validation is complete.
Why have 28,000 teachers not received their promotion arrears?
The Minister says their validation is incomplete. The CAGD says 630 cases are pending verification and 23,367 have not been processed because supporting documents were not submitted by the GES.
How many teachers have been paid promotion arrears in Ghana?
The Minister says about 52,000 teachers were paid by October 16, while the CAGD says it paid 56,003 GES teachers across September and October.
The government has cleared promotion arrears for most of the roughly 80,000 promoted teachers, but about 28,000 remain unpaid and may miss the October salary run. With the Education Minister calling an emergency meeting and urging teachers not to strike again, attention now turns to whether the outstanding claims are validated and paid by the end of November.
