Unpaid 2023-Recruited Teachers in Northern Region Petition Government Over Salary Delays

Unpaid 2023-Recruited Teachers: About 250 teachers recruited in 2023 and posted to the Northern Region have petitioned the Minister of Education, describing their situation as a “grave professional and financial injustice” after working for more than two years without receiving salaries.

The affected teachers, who form part of nearly 400 recruits nationwide facing similar challenges, say persistent delays in staff ID generation by the Ghana Education Service (GES) have prevented them from being placed on the government payroll despite officially assuming duty in 2023.

Teachers Reject Claims of Fake Appointments

Reading the petition on behalf of the group, the association’s president firmly rejected comments reportedly made by the Regional Education Director on Sagani TV suggesting that their appointments were fraudulent.

“We completely reject the assertion that our appointments are fake. We followed all due processes and possess valid appointment letters, regional posting letters, and duly signed assumption-of-duty forms from our various districts and schools,” he stated.

According to the teachers, they have consistently reported to work for more than 25 months without any formal directive instructing them to stop. They describe the prolonged delay in payment as both demoralising and unjust, particularly given the financial strain it has placed on them and their families.

Administrative Confusion After 2024 Elections

The petition indicates that the group may have been inadvertently affected by administrative confusion that followed the mass revocation of public sector appointments after the December 7, 2024 general elections. However, the teachers insist that their appointments were issued in 2023—well before the elections—and should not have been included in any revocation or reinstatement processes.

“Our appointments were made long before the 2024 elections, so neither the revocation nor the reinstatement process applies to us. Yet we continue to suffer the consequences of an error we did not cause,” the petition emphasised.

They argue that being caught up in a bureaucratic mix-up has unfairly delayed their staff ID generation, which remains a critical requirement for payroll processing under the Ghana Education Service system.

Unpaid 2023-Recruited Teachers: Disparities Across Regions Raise Concerns

The teachers expressed frustration that while they remain unpaid, colleagues recruited in 2024—and even some engaged after December 2024—have already been processed and are receiving salaries.

They further noted that in several other regions, most 2023 recruits are on the payroll, making the situation in the Northern Region particularly troubling.

“What makes this situation more painful is that a few selected members of our group have been given staff IDs and paid, while the majority of us have been ignored without any explanation,” the association’s president added.

The perceived inconsistency, they say, has deepened feelings of neglect and unfair treatment.

Proposed Solution and Call for Government Intervention

The teachers referenced a precedent set by Ghana Education Service headquarters in December 2025, when new appointment letters were issued to the 2024 recruitment cohort to facilitate smoother onboarding and resolve documentation challenges. They are proposing that a similar administrative solution be adopted to address the technical hurdles blocking their staff ID generation.

In their petition, the group is appealing for:

• Immediate submission of their data for staff ID generation
• Placement on the government payroll without further delay
• Payment of all outstanding salary arrears dating back to 2023
• Correction of public narratives questioning the legitimacy of their appointments

They are calling on the Minister to liaise with relevant authorities within the education sector to resolve the matter urgently.

A Plea for Fairness and Dignity

Despite the prolonged hardship, the teachers say they remain committed to their profession and hopeful that government authorities will intervene swiftly.

They argue that restoring fairness, transparency, and dignity to educators who have served diligently without pay is not only a matter of financial justice but also critical to maintaining morale within the education sector.

As the petition gains public attention, stakeholders within the education space will be watching closely to see how authorities respond to the growing concerns of unpaid teachers in the Northern Region.

Unpaid 2023-Recruited Teachers

Source: 3news.com

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