The Ghana Education Service (GES) has set next Monday, October 5, as the deadline for submitting the documents needed to resolve the ongoing payment dispute affecting teachers.

Head of Public Relations at GES, Daniel Fenyi, said the Service is working with the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to address the issue and ensure teachers receive their money.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, Mr Fenyi said the focus should now be on resolving the matter rather than assigning blame.

“I would very much hesitate to start blame games,” he said, stressing “Teachers need their money.”

He explained that teacher unions regard the Ministry of Education, GES, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, and the Controller and Accountant General’s Department as a single government team during negotiations.

He said it was therefore unfortunate that blame games had started within government over the payment issue.

According to Mr Fenyi, the Education Minister met the teacher unions on Monday and gave them assurances over the matter.

He said the minister directed GES to work with the Controller and Accountant General’s Department on the necessary documentation.

“The minister has also mentioned that in case of the insistence on some input forms and documentation, GES should be able to provide,” he said.

He said the documentation includes input forms, promotion letters and other necessary documents.

Mr Fenyi clarified that the figures being discussed cover both teaching and non-teaching staff.

“For the teaching staff, we have about 59 to 60,000 of them,” he said.

He said GES was initially of the view that the affected teachers could have been processed through automatic placement, given the circumstances and the outcome of the August 31 meeting and agreement.

However, the Controller and Accountant General’s Department maintained that the input forms were crucial to its work.

Mr Fenyi said GES is now working to meet the revised deadline.

“I can confirm to you from the GES headquarters that, as we speak, there are even some people still at the headquarters working around the clock,” he said.

He stressed that the Service is approaching the matter positively and collaboratively with the teacher unions and other stakeholders.

Mr Fenyi said the 4 p.m. deadline under discussion was not for Monday, September 28, but for the following Monday.

“The 4 p.m. deadline is for next week Monday. Next week Monday,” he clarified.

He subsequently assured teachers that GES would meet the deadline.

“In fact, we have met a couple of deadlines. We have worked under pressure.”

He said GES would continue working around the clock to prioritise teachers' welfare and ensure they can return to the classroom.

“Trust us that we will work around the clock to make sure that their desires are really met, so that they can return to the classroom,” he said.

Mr Fenyi also said GES would not want the current situation to disrupt the academic calendar.

“We have stabilised the calendar,” he said, adding that the Service would not want to disrupt it.