The Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced the Study Leave With Pay program for the 2025 academic year. This program allows eligible employees of the GES to pursue further studies while still receiving pay. The GES wishes to bring to the notice of its eligible employees the approved subject areas for Study Leave With Pay for the 2025 academic year.
Conditions for Grant of Study Leave With Pay
To qualify for the grant of Study Leave With Pay, employees must satisfy certain conditions. These include a minimum of three years of satisfactory service, serving in a designated deprived area for two years for potential eligibility, and non-professional graduate teachers serving at least one year before pursuing a Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) course. Additionally, staff returning from secondment must serve a minimum of two years before becoming eligible.
The minimum number of years to serve before qualifying for the grant of Study Leave With Pay is 3 (three) years of satisfactory service. A beneficiary of Study Leave With Pay shall be bonded for the number of years served at the Institution plus one (1) year.
An applicant (staff of GES) who has served in a designated deprived area for Two (2) years may be eligible for consideration for the grant of Study Leave With Pay.
Non-Professional graduate teachers should have served for at least one (1) year before being eligible for any of the Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) course.
Staff of the Service returning from Secondment must serve a minimum of two (2) years before they become eligible for Study Leave With Pay.
Staff of the Service who vacate, leave the service and are re-appointed/re-engaged must serve a minimum of five (5) years before being eligible for Study Leave With Pay.
A Staff who does not qualify for the grant of Study Leave With Pay in the first year cannot apply again in the second year of his/her studies. The Staff must apply for Study Leave Without Pay to pursue the course.
A Staff who is eligible for Study Leave With Pay must have a minimum of two (2) years to serve after the course. For example, a Staff who is Fifty-Five (55) years and above cannot apply for Study Leave With Pay to pursue a course that lasts Four (4) years or more. He/She can, however, apply to pursue courses that have a duration/between One (1) and Two (2) years.
A Staff shall be eligible for Study Leave With Pay subject to the following:
a) Good conduct and performance
b) Recommendation by immediate supervisor
Application Process for Study Leave With Pay
Applicants should obtain application forms from the Metro/Municipal/District Education Offices. They must complete four copies of the application form, attach certified true copies of certificates, and submit the application to their Regional Director through the Metro/Municipal/District Director/Head of Institution. The Regional/District Directors should ensure that the list of fully qualified beneficiaries reaches the Acting Director, Human Resource Management and Development (HRMD) GES Headquarters by Friday, 31st October, 2025.
Eligibility and Restrictions
Staff members who are 55 years and above cannot apply for Study Leave With Pay to pursue a course lasting four years or more. However, they can apply for courses lasting between one and three years. Staff returning from secondment or those re-appointed/re-engaged after leaving the service must serve a minimum of two to five years before being eligible.
Importance of Study Leave With Pay
The Study Leave With Pay program is beneficial for GES staff as it allows them to further their education while continuing to receive pay. However, staff who opt for study leave without pay face consequences like loss of salary and SSNIT contribution, denial of outright posting after the course, and challenges with re-engagement.³
