The National President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Prosper Tackie, says teachers were compelled to take their promotion examinations in December to beat a government clearance deadline.

According to him, the clearance granted by government was at risk of expiring with the end of the budget year, forcing teachers to sit the examinations during the Christmas period.

“Last year, we were compelled to go and write the exams in December. The simple reason being that government had given a clearance,” he said on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday.

He explained that the Finance Ministry granted the clearance, and teachers had to complete the process before the new budget year.

“That is the Minister of Finance, and if we do not write, I think the clearance was going to expire going into the new budget year,” Mr Tackie said.

He said the development meant that teachers had to take their promotion examinations while others were celebrating Christmas.

“So our members went in for the promotion exams in December when others were celebrating the Christmas festivities,” he said.

Mr Tackie also explained the discrepancy between the 58,000 and the more than 80,000 figures cited regarding teachers affected by the promotion and payment issue.

He said the 58,000 figure refers to teachers in higher ranks, while others in lower ranks were also promoted.

“The truth is that we have teachers in higher ranks, which the number I think adds up to the 58,000, and then we have others in lower ranks who are also equally promoted,” he said.

“So these two numbers add up together to get the over 80,000 teachers we are talking of,” he added.

Mr Tackie said the Controller and Accountant General’s Department may have worked only with the 58,000 figure, without taking the other promoted teachers into account.

He stressed the importance of promotions to teachers, particularly those approaching retirement.

“Most of our teachers, especially those who are about to retire, whatever promotion they gain, have a consequential effect on their retirement, and for that matter, we don’t joke with our promotions,” he said.

He said some teachers were subsequently captured in February, but their results and promotions remained unresolved.

“Subsequently, there were others who were captured in February, and by March we were expecting the result couldn’t come in April,” he said.

Mr Tackie said the issue was later raised when President Mahama was invited to commission the PESCAN at the Sweden Ghana Medical Centre.

“When he came before, he raised the issue that our promotion was still pending, and that it has an effect on teachers who are about to retire,” he said.