Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) has called for an urgent resolution to the nationwide strike by Ghana’s pre-tertiary teacher unions, warning that continued disruption is depriving learners of valuable instructional time.
In a press release dated October 7, 2026, the education policy organisation said the strike, which began on September 25, has continued for 12 days and was affecting teaching and learning across public pre-tertiary schools nationwide.
Eduwatch attributed the industrial action to unresolved issues involving the placement of promoted teachers on appropriate salary scales, payment of related arrears, negotiations over a new Collective Agreement and the non-operationalisation of the Deprived Area Allowance. It emphasised prolonged disruption could also affect children who depend on schools for feeding and other essential support.
Eduwatch therefore urged the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service (GES), Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) and teacher unions to intensify negotiations. It called for, “a credible, time-bound resolution that restores classroom activity while placing learners’ interests at the centre of the process.”
The organisation further noted that “every additional day of disruption reduces instructional time and compromises children’s right to education.” It also urged CAGD and GES to act immediately to ensure promoted staff receive their rightful compensation without further delay.
On collective bargaining, Eduwatch questioned why negotiations over the existing agreement were not concluded before its expiry in June 2026. The organisation noted that teacher unions had indicated that proposals for reviewing the agreement were submitted several months before the deadline.
Eduwatch argued that negotiations should begin sufficiently early, with clear milestones for reaching agreement before existing collective arrangements expire. It said industrial action should not become the mechanism that creates urgency around matters institutions have had sufficient time to address.
The education policy organisation further linked the dispute to weaknesses in managing Ghana’s teaching workforce. It noted that recurring difficulties involving promotions, payroll placement, arrears and teacher incentives require institutional attention beyond the immediate strike.
Eduwatch called on all parties to negotiate in good faith and restore regular teaching as quickly as possible. It stressed that protecting the right to education requires predictable systems that prevent administrative delays and unresolved negotiations from repeatedly disrupting Ghana’s schools.
Eduwatch Proposes Reforms To Teacher Promotion and Payroll Systems
Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) has proposed institutional reforms to address recurring challenges in teacher promotions, payroll placement and incentives. The education policy organisation said resolving the current teacher strike must be accompanied by changes that make workforce administration faster, predictable and accountable.
Eduwatch’s first recommendation is for the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) and Ghana Education Service (GES) to digitise teacher promotion and payroll processes. The organisation said continued reliance on paper-based documentation creates avoidable delays and recommended secure electronic transmission of approved promotion records.
The organisation also called for stronger alignment between CAGD, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Ministry of Finance. It argued that payroll, compensation, workforce planning and financing decisions should support teacher deployment, retention.
Eduwatch further recommended decentralising teacher promotions by giving Regional Education Directorates greater responsibility for assessment, verification and routine processing. It said national oversight should remain with the GES Council.
Another proposal is the institutionalisation of an annual promotion cycle. Eduwatch said GES should establish fixed timelines for applications, assessment, approval and payroll placement.
The organisation also wants promotion approval to automatically trigger payroll placement within a defined service standard. It proposed a digital platform through which teachers can track the progress of their promotion and payroll placement. Eduwatch stated, “approval of a promotion should automatically trigger payroll placement within a defined service standard.”
On teacher incentives, Eduwatch urged authorities to operationalise the 20 percent Deprived Area Allowance. The organisation noted that the proposal has existed since 2009, featured in manifesto commitments and found expression in the Collective Agreement.
Eduwatch also emphasised that disagreements over defining deprived areas and eligible beneficiaries have delayed implementation for nearly two decades. It therefore called on the Ministry of Education, teacher unions and GES to agree on a workable framework, with the Ministry of Finance providing the fiscal arrangements required.
The organisation added that the priority should be to operationalise the allowance, review implementation with evidence and progressively refine the framework. It argued that clearer systems would help address longstanding uncertainty surrounding teacher incentives in underserved communities.
Eduwatch concluded that stronger workforce systems would help reduce promotion backlogs, improve teacher confidence and support retention in underserved communities. It urged institutions to align administrative decisions with effective education delivery and better learning outcomes for Ghanaian children.
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