GES urges striking teachers to return to work, warns of threat to academic calendar

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has appealed to the striking teacher unions to call off their industrial action, warning that the strike threatens what it describes as a hard-won return to a stable academic calendar.

Director-General of the GES, Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, said schools across the country reopened in September for the first time in about six years, and the strike, which began barely two weeks into the new academic year, puts that gain at risk.

“For the first time in approximately six years, we have reached a point where students across the various levels of our education system have reported to school within September. This did not happen by accident. It was achieved through hard work,” he said.

Speaking to the press on Tuesday, September 29, Professor Davis said the timely reopening had given Ghana a more predictable and synchronised calendar, allowing parents, schools and other stakeholders to plan better.

The strike, which began on September 25, 2026, was declared by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG), who say their concerns remain unresolved.

Among other things, they are demanding payment of outstanding promotion arrears, progress on negotiations for a new Collective Agreement, and implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance.

Professor Davis said the government and relevant state institutions are engaging the unions. He said the GES is working with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour, the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department and other stakeholders to find solutions.

He appealed to the unions to reconsider their decision while those engagements continue.

“We wish to associate ourselves therefore with the Ministry of Education’s appeal to teachers to rescind their decision as we work hard to address their issues,” he said.

The Director-General pointed to steps the GES has already taken on teachers’ concerns, including the mechanisation of promotions last year. He assured teachers that the Service remains committed to meeting its obligations despite the challenges facing the education sector.

He added that protecting the stability of the academic calendar remains a priority and urged all stakeholders to work towards a school year without further disruption.