The Education Ministry has assured teachers that it will facilitate and deal with all outstanding issues bothering on their welfare of teachers as early as possible.

Speaking to JoyNews Wednesday, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the ministry, Paul Krampa noted that all unions within the education sector will meet to discuss all outstanding issues relating to teachers' welfare and conditions of service and ensure that they are addressed.

Mr. Krampa was reacting to concerns raised by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) about their present conditions of service during the association's 51st quadrennial conference in Accra.

The conference was under the theme: Education in Crisis: The development agenda beyond 2015.

The Acting President of GNAT, Samuel Doe Alobia highlighted teacher’s challenges and asked government to improve working conditions for conducive learning.

According to him, teachers are worried about unpaid SSNIT contributions, scrapping of the teacher trainees allowances, and lack of promotions, warning that failure by government to address these concerns could affect the quality of teaching in the classroom.

"Motivation for teachers in terms of continuing education, living conditions, accommodation, monetary and promotion concerns continue to elude us.

"Issues of the national pension and regulatory authority's handlings of pensions is sending bad signals to public sector workers in the country.

"We are still at a loss as to why the accrued benefits and contributions paid into a temporary pension fund account, which were to be transferred into trustee's chosen bank, beginning from January 2013, has still not been done. What is holding the contributions up at the Bank of Ghana", Mr. Alobia queried.

However, the Ministry of Education PRO assured that before the middle of the year, teachers, who have gone through the promotion interviews, will receive their letters of promotion.

Mr. Krampa noted that the ministry realised over the years that there were delays in promotion and as a result constituted a committee all over the country to interview teachers, who are due for promotion.

This was to ensure that teachers are promoted to their various ranks, as lots of teachers had applied to go through the process, the Education Ministry PRO intimated.

According to him, the promotion processes have been decentralised, allowing teachers to attend interviews in their respective regions.

This, he pointed out, makes the process very fast and transparent as interviewers are seasoned educationists, who had been involved in the administration of education in the country.

On his part, President John Mahama, who was present at the conference, assured teachers that their conditions would be improved.

"There are issues outstanding as a result of the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Pay Structure. It is my believe that working together with your executive in the spirit of understanding and consensus building, we will iron out the outstanding issues" the president noted.

He however, applauded the association’s welfare fund initiative and pledged government’s support to their cause.