Koforidua, July 29, GNA - A number of teachers who passed out of teacher training colleges in 2005/2006 in the Kwahu South and Fanteakwa Districts in the Eastern Region, have not received their back-pay. It was only in May 2007, that the authorities finally placed them on their salary scale and paid part of their arrears to them but the GES has failed its promise to pay the rest.

One of the affected teachers, who spoke to the GNA at Koforidua, alleged that, 40 teachers were affected in the Kwahu South District while almost all teachers posted to the Fanteakwa District during the period were also affected.

He said the problem initially affected all teachers posted to the Eastern Region during the period concern, but upon persistent appeal, those in some of the districts were paid. The GES also agreed to pay to those who could not have their money in instalments but after an initial "one-off" payment, the service had failed to do so.

According to him their plight had been worsened due to the apparent seething of some GES officials at the National Headquarters who were unhappy about the appearance of the case in the media and were dragging their feet to find a solution to it.

The case has caught the attention of the leadership of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), which had sent a proposal for the consideration of the GES, the Ministry of Finance and the Controller and Accountant-General's Department that such category of teachers should be upgraded within months after their results.

Mr John Nyoagbe, Deputy General Secretary of GNAT, speaking at the closing of a week in-service training for teachers at Koforidua over the weekend, said the Association was concerned about the development where new entrants sometimes waited for 18 or more months before they were placed on pay roll.

He admitted the "frustration the situation has been causing many beginning teachers" and proposed that the three agencies "institute a scheme whereby such teachers could be upgraded to their actual salaries not more than two months after their results are out". When reached for her comment, the Eastern Regional Director of Education, Mrs Akosua Adu, blamed the situation on the process of moving from the old payroll known as the IPPD 1 to the IPPD 2. She however gave the assurance that efforts were being made to rectify the error.