Education Minister, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu has appealed to the striking teacher unions to call off their industrial action and return to the classroom, assuring them that government is addressing their concerns and that many of the issues raised are within its power to resolve.
The appeal was made at a meeting currently underway at the Ministry of Education, where the Minister is engaging union leaders alongside the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD), the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the Ghana Education Service (GES).
The meeting has brought together the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG).
The three unions that declared the nationwide strike over the unresolved Collective Agreement negotiations, the placement of newly promoted teachers and the Deprived Area Allowance.
Hon. Iddrisu invited the union leaders to speak first, offering each of them the opening minutes to state their problems as he opened the session.
He said the discussions would proceed on the principle of give and take, which he described as the proper basis for negotiations between the state and its workers.
Protecting A Newly Stabilised Calendar
Central to the Minister’s appeal was the need to protect the academic calendar, which has only recently returned to the September-to-July cycle. He described the achievement as a milestone for the country’s education sector.
“This is the first time in five years that Ghana has stabilised and normalised its academic calendar for all levels of education.”
Education Minister, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu
The Minister noted that, as a result, students from secondary schools who passed their examinations were able to join the universities in September without the delays that have characterised previous years.
He stressed that this progress is something government, teachers and the wider public should all hold dear for the sake of learners at every level.
Hon. Iddrisu cautioned that any disruption of the restored calendar could carry serious consequences for the country and for the futures of young learners.
He said the stability achieved this year should not be reversed by a prolonged withdrawal of teaching services, particularly so soon after schools have resumed.
Government’s Position as Employer
Speaking as the employer of the striking teachers, the Minister said the state’s aim at the meeting was to persuade the unions to keep the academic calendar running smoothly while government examines the merits of their concerns.
“Some of the issues are within our resolution, not all of them, but on the basis of give and take we can find common ground.”
Education Minister, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu
He acknowledged the unions’ concerns as legitimate and indicated that government was prepared to engage substantively on them. His remarks recognised that not every grievance can be resolved immediately, while signalling readiness to address those within the state’s control.
Multi-Agency Engagement
The presence of the CAGD, the FWSC and the GES at the meeting reflects the inter-agency nature of the dispute. The unions have cited delays in the negotiation of a new Collective Agreement, which falls under the FWSC, and in the payment of promotion arrears, which involves both the GES and the CAGD.
The CAGD has stated that it has processed all valid cases submitted to it, while the GES has been urged to supply the remaining documentation.
Bringing these bodies into the same room with the unions is expected to help identify bottlenecks and assign responsibility for each outstanding issue.
The outcome of the meeting will determine whether the unions agree to suspend the strike, which has kept teachers out of classrooms across the country since Friday, 25 September 2026. With schools only recently reopened, pressure is mounting on all parties to reach a quick resolution.
Attention will now turn to whether the discussions produce firm commitments and timelines that satisfy the unions, and whether teachers return to work in time to safeguard the newly restored academic calendar.
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