By Elizabeth Larkwor Baah
Tema, May 14, GNA -The Campaign Against Privatization and Commercialization of Education (CAPCOE) has called on President John Dramani Mahama to intervene in the worsening welfare challenges facing teachers and students at the pre-tertiary level.
Mr Richard Kovey, Convenor of CAPCOE, asked the President to intervene within 21 working days and warned that failure to address the concerns could result in a mass picketing exercise involving more than 90, 000 teachers at Jubilee House and the President’s residence.
The call was given in collaboration with civil society organisations working under Education International (EI), a global teacher union body.
Mr Kovey told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview that, although the Ghana Education Service (GES) issued a circular in the last quarter of 2025 indicating that the promotion portal would be opened by March 2026 for teachers due for promotion examinations, results for teachers who sat for the aptitude test in December 2025 had still not been released.
He said the current state of the education sector was negatively affecting teaching and learning, as many teachers continued to face delays in promotions, unpaid salaries and outstanding arrears, adding that the Ministry of Education and the GES had failed to work effectively to address the growing concerns in the sector.
He questioned the role of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) in releasing funds meant for educational expenses already approved by Parliament, stressing that financial constraints were responsible for the delay, with claims that the contractor responsible for conducting the aptitude test had not been paid and was therefore withholding the results.
The convenor indicated that even if the results were released, affected teachers could wait for another six months or more before being placed on the appropriate salary scale and expressed concern over delays in salary payments and arrears for newly recruited teachers, saying some had not yet been placed on the government payroll.
He referenced recent concerns raised by the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) over shortages of funds for perishable food items in senior high schools, saying that the situation reflected deeper financial management challenges within the education sector.
He warned that continued neglect of teachers’ welfare could widen inequality in education, deepen poverty and increase social problems in the country and, therefore, called on President Mahama to engage all relevant stakeholders within the next 21 working days to ensure the immediate release of the 2025 promotion results.
Mr Kovey called for the opening of the 2026 promotion portal for eligible teachers, the payment for SHS perishable goods, and the implementation of salary payment plans for newly recruited teachers.
He appealed to the President to reshuffle officials who were not acting in the interest of teachers and students, warning that if the concerns were not addressed within the stated period, they would formally notify the Ghana Police Service and mobilise affected teachers, including deputy directors who have remained on their ranks for between four and eight years, to embark on a protest at the seat of government until their demands were met.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo/Linda Asante Agyei
Reporter Elizabeth Larkwor Baah, GNA