Teacher Unions Send Strong Message to GES Over Salary Placement of Newly Promoted Teachers
Three major teacher unions have called on the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education to ensure that all newly promoted teachers are placed automatically on their appropriate salary scales by 31 August 2026. The unions say the existing system of automatic salary adjustment must be maintained without placing additional requirements on teachers.
The statement was issued on 27 August 2026 by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG). It follows an earlier GES announcement assuring newly promoted teachers that their salaries would be adjusted automatically to reflect their new ranks.
Teacher Unions Welcome GES Assurance
GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG have welcomed the assurance from GES that newly promoted teachers will be placed automatically on the grades and salary levels corresponding to their new ranks. According to the unions, this arrangement is consistent with the practice that has been followed since 2020.
Under the existing process, teachers who are promoted to new ranks are normally placed automatically on the appropriate salary scale. The unions therefore expect GES to continue with the same arrangement for teachers who were successful in the latest promotion exercise.
Why the Unions Issued the Statement
The latest intervention comes after concerns emerged over the processing of salary adjustments for newly promoted teachers. Earlier, some teachers had reportedly been asked to submit application letters, promotion letters and other documents before their salaries could be adjusted.
GES subsequently clarified that teachers promoted to new ranks are normally placed automatically on the appropriate salary scale, provided their posting has not changed. The Service also asked teachers to ignore requests to submit documents for the salary adjustment and said it was engaging the affected regions and districts.
The teacher unions have now backed that position and are calling for the automatic process to be fully implemented. Their concern is that the established procedure should not be changed in a way that places additional demands on newly promoted teachers.
Unions Warn Against Changing the Existing Practice
Although the unions commended GES for its assurance, they also issued a strong warning against any attempt to depart from the existing salary placement arrangement. They said any effort to impose a different process on teachers without considering the concerns of teachers, their unions and other stakeholders would be strongly resisted.
The position of the unions is therefore clear. Newly promoted teachers should not be subjected to a new process when the established system allows them to be placed automatically on the salary scale corresponding to their new rank.
August 31 Deadline Comes Into Focus
GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG have specifically called on the Ministry of Education and GES to ensure that all newly promoted teachers are placed on their appropriate salary scales by the close of 31 August 2026. The unions say this is in line with the assurance already given by GES.
This date is particularly important for teachers waiting for their promotion to reflect on their salaries. With only a few days remaining, attention will now be on whether the salary adjustments will be completed within the period stated by GES.
What Newly Promoted Teachers Should Know
The latest development means newly promoted teachers should expect their salary placement to be processed automatically under the existing arrangement. Based on the GES clarification and the position of the unions, teachers should not be required to submit additional documents simply for the adjustment of their salaries to reflect their new ranks.
However, teachers should continue to monitor official communication from GES and their unions. Any further directive affecting the salary placement process should ideally come through the appropriate official channels.
Final Note
Newly promoted teachers have been waiting for their new ranks to reflect on their salary scales, and the teacher unions are now insisting that the process should be completed automatically. GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG want the existing practice maintained and have called for all affected teachers to be properly placed by 31 August 2026.
The next few days will therefore be important for successful promotion candidates. EduTech Ghana will continue to follow developments on the salary placement exercise and provide updates when further official information becomes available.
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