Newly recruited teachers to hit streets on September 23 over unpaid salary arrears.

 

Newly Posted Teachers Threaten September Demonstration Over Prolonged Salary Arrears.

A group of newly posted teachers in the country is preparing to stage a nationwide protest on September 23, 2025, in response to protracted delays in the payment of their salaries. 

Many of these teachers, drawn from both Colleges of Education and universities, report that they have been left uncompensated for periods stretching from eight months to an entire year.

The group has described the situation as intolerable, citing the severe financial and emotional toll it has imposed. With arrears piling up, countless teachers are unable to meet their most basic obligations — rent, food, utilities, and medical expenses. In some cases, the hardship has proven fatal. During a demonstration in June, one distraught female teacher broke down in tears as she recounted how ten months without pay had left her family in despair.

At a press briefing in Accra, the group’s Lead Convener, Simon Kofi Nartey, made a direct appeal to President John Dramani Mahama, urging his intervention to ensure the Ministry of Finance releases the long-awaited funds.

“We believe His Excellency is a listening president. We therefore call on him to act without delay to guarantee the payment of our arrears and salaries,” Mr. Nartey declared.

The teachers have issued a stern warning that failure to issue staff ID numbers, complete validation processes, and pay all outstanding salaries by the end of September will compel them to occupy Accra’s principal streets in a large-scale demonstration.

This would not be their first such action. Earlier in June, they converged on the headquarters of the Ghana Education Service, vowing to intensify pressure until their demands are addressed. While the Ministry of Education has offered assurances that payment is forthcoming, patience among the rank-and-file is wearing dangerously thin.

Ironically, the government earlier this year cleared a backlog of promotion arrears and implemented a 10% salary increment for teachers nationwide, moves that were widely welcomed. Yet, the persistent neglect of newly posted teachers has cast a shadow over those gains, exposing a recurring challenge within the education sector,  chronic salary delays for newly recruited staff.

As the September deadline approaches, all attention now shifts to the Presidency and the Ministry of Finance. For the affected teachers, this protest is more than a call for wages; it is a demand for recognition, dignity, and the assurance that their sacrifices in shaping the nation’s future will not be met with silence.