The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, says the government has established a committee to validate data and determine which teachers qualify for the proposed 20 per cent deprived-area allowance.

He said the committee includes representatives of the teacher unions and the Ghana Statistical Service and is expected to develop a roadmap for implementing the allowance.

Mr Iddrisu disclosed this on Friday, October 2, 2026, as he engaged the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) over concerns that have triggered their nationwide strike.

He said one of the key issues requiring agreement is the definition of a deprived area and the categories of teachers who should benefit from the allowance.

“20% deprived area allowance to deserving teachers. We need an understanding as to who qualifies to benefit from it. And for our purposes, which area in Ghana will qualify to be declared as rural deprived. And which category of teachers will benefit from it? Some data already exists.”

According to the Minister, the validation committee has been tasked with examining the available data and working with the unions to establish a clear basis for implementation.

“A committee was put in place which included the representative of our teacher union and the Ghana Statistical Service. A committee has been put in place including representative of the teacher union to validate and provide a road map for the implementation of the 20%.”

Mr Iddrisu said the commitment to introduce the allowance remains part of the government's policy agenda.

“It remains a manifesto commitment that we will honour as government.”

The proposed allowance is one of the outstanding issues raised by the three teacher unions, alongside concerns over promotion-related salary arrears and negotiations for a new collective agreement.

The unions began their nationwide industrial action on September 25, 2026, disrupting teaching and learning in public schools.

The government and the unions met on Friday in a closed-door session involving the Education, Finance and Labour Ministers as efforts continued to resolve the issues underlying the strike.