The Ghana Education Service (GES) on Monday, June 23, held a closed-door meeting with about 100 newly posted teachers from the 2022 batch of Colleges of Education, following a day-long picketing at its headquarters in Accra.
The teachers, drawn from all 16 regions and numbering 784 in total, are demanding the immediate payment of ten months’ salary arrears and the issuance of staff identification numbers.
Breaking from tradition, the GES invited not just union representatives but also affected teachers to participate directly.
Public Relations Officer of the GES, Daniel Fenyi, explained that the unusual move was to ensure transparency and allow all voices to be heard. Media were asked to step aside temporarily, with assurances of a full briefing afterward.
The emotional protest saw many teachers share personal stories of hardship and frustration.
“What wrong have I done? I have schooled for four years, served my country for a year, and passed my licensure exams. Is deciding to be a teacher my crime? Ten good months,” cried Serwaa Korang, a nursing mother. Charity Amponsah added, “We have put up with poor conditions of service, yet we have been denied payment for our services. Is it a crime to be a teacher?”
Others, like Maxwell Adogo, who was posted from Ashaiman to Chereponi, recounted surviving in harsh conditions without pay, potable water, or basic support.
The protest follows months of failed follow-ups and broken promises from GES officials. The teachers, officially appointed on August 1, 2024, say their patience has run out.
“We’ve worked for 10 months now without pay. We don’t even have staff IDs. Every time we visit GES, they offer excuses. It’s too much—we’re suffering,” said Solomon Opoku Gyan.
The outcome of Monday’s meeting is expected to determine whether the teachers will escalate their protest or see a resolution to what they describe as an unbearable ordeal.
