Respect Teachers: Clear Their Salaries, Not Their Voices

The Centre for Research & Education Policy (CREP Africa) has taken note of the recent directive issued by the Ghana Education Service (GES) cautioning newly recruited teachers against approaching the Headquarters or engaging the media regarding their concerns.

While we acknowledge the importance of respecting administrative structures within public institutions, it is equally important to recognize the legitimate frustrations of newly recruited teachers who have diligently discharged their duties in classrooms across the country but are yet to receive their salaries for several months.

Teachers are professionals who play a critical role in shaping the future of our nation. It is therefore unjust and disheartening for them to continue working under financial hardship while waiting for their rightful remuneration.

It is worth noting that when nurses and midwives raised similar concerns regarding their conditions of service, their grievances received prompt attention and engagement from the appropriate authorities. Equity demands that teachers be treated with the same urgency and respect.

CREP Africa believes that labelling teachers’ efforts to draw attention to their unpaid salaries as misconduct or absence from duty risks undermining morale within the education sector and may further deepen mistrust between management and staff.

Rather than focusing on restrictions, we urge the Ghana Education Service to prioritize the swift clearance of all salary arrears owed to newly recruited teachers and to strengthen communication channels that allow concerns to be addressed transparently and efficiently.

Teachers deserve dignity, respect, and timely payment for the invaluable service they render to the nation.

CREP Africa therefore calls on the relevant authorities to resolve this matter with urgency in the interest of fairness, justice, and the stability of Ghana’s education system.