The New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East Region has accused the Ghana Education Service (GES) of short-changing teachers who secured promotions after the 2025 promotion examinations, citing concerns over the effective date for payment of their arrears and errors in some promotion letters.

The party says it is particularly concerned about reports that the payment of promotion arrears is being processed from July 2026, rather than April 2026, when the examination results were released.

"The New Patriotic Party (NPP), Upper East Region, has taken serious note of the growing frustration, anxiety and disappointment among teachers of the Ghana Education Service (GES) following the conclusion of the 2025 promotion examination process and the subsequent release of promotion letters.

We wish to express our solidarity with all affected teachers across Ghana and assure them that their concerns have not gone unnoticed. As a political party that recognises the critical role teachers play in shaping Ghana’s human capital and future, we consider the current situation deeply troubling and in need of urgent government attention.

On December 31st 2025, teachers across the country who qualified for promotion within the Ghana Education Service sat for their promotion examinations. These teachers had every legitimate expectation that, after completing the examination process, their results would be released within a reasonable period and their promotions effected without unnecessary delay. Shockingly, the teachers had to wait until April 2026 before the results were released. Since then, they have continued to wait for the full implementation of their promotions and the payment of the arrears associated with their new ranks."

According to the NPP, teachers who sat for the promotion examinations on December 31, 2025, waited until April 2026 for their results and have since been waiting for their promotions to be fully implemented and the corresponding arrears paid.

In a statement signed by the Upper East Regional Communication Director of the NPP, Dr Samuel Akonga, the party questioned why teachers should lose their financial entitlements for the period between April and July.

"As a party, we find it unacceptable that the government, through the Ghana Education Service, is reportedly processing the payment of the promotion arrears with a substantive date of July 2026 instead of April 2026 as has been the precedent. We ask the government a simple but important question: why should teachers who completed their promotion examinations, waited for their results and received those results in April 2026 be denied the corresponding arrears for the period between April and July?"

The party argues that the affected teachers had completed all the requirements for their promotions and should not be denied arrears for a period during which their promotions were being processed.

“Teachers are not asking the government for a favour. They are asking to be treated fairly and to receive what they have legitimately earned,” the statement said.

The NPP has also raised concerns over what it describes as serious errors in some promotion letters issued by the GES.

It says reports received from affected teachers indicate that some promotion letters contain schools in districts where the teachers do not work while others allegedly contain inaccuracies in teachers’ identities and employment details.

"Sadly, the issue of arrears has been compounded by serious errors reportedly contained in some of the promotion letters issued by the Ghana Education Service. We have received reports from affected teachers across the length and breadth of Ghana, which indicate that teachers have received promotion letters indicating schools in other districts which they do not teach. There are reports of gross inaccuracies and distortions relating to the identities and employment details of some teachers. This situation is completely unacceptable."

The party is demanding an immediate review of the affected documents and wants the GES to issue corrected promotion letters accurately reflecting each teacher’s identity, rank, school and other employment information.

"We therefore call on the Ghana Education Service and government to take immediate steps to correct these errors. Every affected teacher must be provided with a promotion letter that accurately reflects his or her identity, rank, school and other relevant employment information.

"The New Patriotic Party wishes to make it clear that our intervention is not intended to undermine the Ghana Education Service, government or score political leverage. Our concern is fundamentally about fairness, accountability and respect for Ghana's teachers. Teachers are among the most important stakeholders in national development. We believe that governments must be judged not only by what they say about teachers but also by how they treat teachers when those teachers demand what they have legitimately earned," portions of the statement said.

The NPP also says the concerns are not intended to undermine the GES or serve as a political attack but are about fairness, accountability and respect for Ghanaian teachers.

It stressed that teachers remain critical to the development of Ghana’s human capital and should receive fair treatment in matters concerning their professional progression and remuneration.

The party has consequently urged government and the GES to urgently resolve the concerns surrounding the promotion process to prevent further frustration among affected teachers.

"The government must decide whether it wants to listen to teachers and address their legitimate concerns or allow frustration and resentment to deepen. To the hardworking teachers, we want to assure you that we hear your concerns, we understand your frustration, and we stand with you. As a political party, when the opportunity arises for the NPP to return to government, we will be prepared to do more to improve the welfare, professional dignity, career progression and working conditions of Ghanaian teachers as it were. The Ghanaian teacher is not asking for favours; they are asking for what they have legitimately earned. They have earned their promotions, they deserve their arrears, and they deserve accurate official records. Above all, they deserve respect."

It also assured teachers of its support, saying they have earned their promotions and deserve the corresponding arrears and accurate official records.

The statement was issued on August 30, 2026, by Dr Samuel Akonga, Upper East Regional Communication Director of the NPP.