About 170 striking workers belonging to two associations at the Savannah College of Education — the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) and the Colleges of Education Non-Teaching Staff Association of Ghana (CENTSAG) — say unresolved issues relating to staff remuneration, recruitment and migration onto the government payroll are threatening their welfare and the smooth administration of the institution.
“Our concern is not to undermine government efforts or disregard the progress made since the college became a public institution. Rather, we seek to draw attention to the unresolved issues surrounding staff remuneration, recruitment and migration onto the government payroll, which continue to threaten staff welfare and the smooth administration of the college,” they said.
At a joint press conference in Daboya in the Savannah Region, members of the two associations said the transition of the college into the public system could not be considered complete while staff continued to work without government-paid salaries and a clear roadmap for their migration onto the public payroll.
Established in 2022, the Savannah College of Education was set up, among other objectives, to contribute to teacher preparation and help address the shortage of professional teachers in the Savannah Region and beyond.
However, in 2024, the institution came under increasing pressure from students over its private status.
Following the concerns, the government absorbed the college into the public Colleges of Education system in March 2025, after an assessment by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
Since the transition, students have been placed on allowances, relieved of fee-related financial burdens and provided with a pick-up vehicle for the college. However, the workers say they are yet to enjoy the benefits of the institution’s public status.
In a joint statement signed by Abdalla Abdul-Rahim for CENTSAG and Franklin Aguuri for CETAG, the associations said they recognised the importance of integrating the college into the public teacher education system but were concerned that staff had yet to benefit fully from the transition.
“The absorption raised legitimate expectations that the college would gradually enjoy the same institutional support, administration arrangements, and staff remuneration framework as other public colleges of education.
“Unfortunately, while some aspects of the transition have progressed, the situation regarding staff remuneration and migration remains unresolved,” they explained.
While acknowledging the government’s financial commitments to students, the workers expressed concern about what they described as inconsistencies in the implementation of the transition, particularly the apparent disparity between the support extended to students and infrastructure development and the unresolved welfare concerns of staff.
“Our greatest concern, however, is the fact that no staff member of the Savannah College of Education has received salary from the Government since the college’s absorption in March, 2025.
“Our staff are not asking for special treatment but for the fair and timely remuneration that should accompany our service in a public institution,” they said.
Management Unit
The associations identified the delay in establishing a Management Unit for the college as one of the major obstacles to resolving the staff migration challenge.
“A major obstacle to resolving the staff migration challenge is the delay in establishing the College’s Management Unit.
“The creation of the Management Unit is critical to providing the administrative framework required for the effective management of the college and the processing of staff migration. Despite efforts by the leadership of the college and other stakeholders to address the situation, the process has not progressed as expected,” they said.
The striking workers also lamented that the prolonged uncertainty had created considerable anxiety among staff, particularly because the establishment of the Management Unit was closely linked to prospects of resolving their remuneration and migration concerns.
They further raised concerns about the absence of a governing council for the college, saying the situation added to the institutional challenges confronting the transition.