Promotion Dates in Ghana Education Service

Ghana Education Service (GES) has specific dates for the promotion of teachers and Non-Teaching staff. Let’s take a look at the dates.

In GES, knowing when to apply for promotion is crucial for career progress. Recently, concerns have been raised regarding the clarity and adherence to promotion timelines.

For new teachers entering the service with a Diploma in Basic Education, the journey towards higher ranks begins upon employment. Below is a clear timeline which indictates when individuals are eligible for promotion:

September 2020 = PSH14 Point 1
September 2021 = PSH14 Point 2
September 2022 = PSH14 Point 3
September 2023 = PSH14 Point 4
September 2024 = PSH14 Point 5
September 2025 = PSH14 Point 6

According to the service’s scheme, promotion to the next rank occurs every four years. However, challenges arise with the application process and administrative delays.

Teachers are advised to apply for promotion after completing three years of service, entering their fourth year. Failure to do so can result in delays, affecting morale and motivation.

Administrative inefficiencies on the part of GES sometimes prolong the promotion process, pushing the effective promotion date beyond the anticipated timeline. There are limitations to salary levels within each rank. Individuals must seek promotion to access higher salary grades.

Efforts to make promotions fast include acquiring additional certificates for upgrades. However, sometimes bureaucratic obstacles and prerequisites such as minimum years of service can hinder progress.

Teachers are encouraged not to delay applying for promotion when eligible. Even modest salary increases can have a significant impact on financial stability and career growth.

In 2020, the Ghana Education Service (GES) released a circular stating changes to the promotion process for teachers. Around 200 teachers seeking promotions were affected by this. The circular explained that instead of interviews, teachers aiming for promotions like Principal Superintendent, Assistant Director II, Assistant Director I, and Deputy Director would now take aptitude tests. Those applying for headship positions would take both an aptitude test and attend an interview. This change was welcomed by critics of the interview format, as interviews often made applicants nervous and didn’t necessarily showcase their abilities.

In 2019, the promotion process for teachers due for various ranks was incomplete. These teachers, last promoted in 2013 or earlier, submitted their applications in July 2019 but didn’t receive any updates on interview or test schedules. Consequently, no teacher due for promotion was promoted in 2019.

Now, another group of teachers last promoted in 2014 or earlier are eligible for promotion. It’s unclear how the GES will manage aptitude tests for these two groups. If both groups take the test together, successful applicants from 2013 would have their promotions backdated to 2019. If they are tested separately, there would be pressure on the GES to mark and release results for a large number of applicants.

The GES’s delay in deciding between interviews and aptitude tests may have contributed to the promotion delays. However, there’s uncertainty about when the aptitude tests for 2019 and 2020 promotions will take place, and no study materials have been provided. Teachers hope the switch to testing won’t favor certain candidates or create more delays.

The GES needs to speed up the promotion process by announcing test dates and study areas. Every teacher has the right to be promoted when due, and unions should advocate for their members during these delays.