Teacher Unions Maintain Nationwide Strike Over Promotion Arrears as Government Appeals for Return to Classrooms

A nationwide strike by pre-tertiary teacher unions is entering a critical phase as classrooms across Ghana remain empty. The industrial action, initiated on September 25, 2026, by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Pre-Tertiary Education Teachers’ Association of Ghana (PRETAG), centers on unresolved financial and administrative grievances. Key demands include the payment of outstanding promotion arrears, the automatic placement of newly promoted teachers on their correct salary scales, and the urgent negotiation of a new Collective Agreement. Union leaders emphasize that their members will not return to work until the government provides tangible evidence of progress, rather than mere verbal assurances.

The impact of the strike is being felt acutely in several regions. In Dormaa-Ahenkro, approximately 2,000 teachers across 25 basic schools have complied with the stay-at-home directive, leaving most public schools closed. Similar reports from Sekondi-Takoradi describe students arriving at locked gates and classrooms, while in the Upper West Region, parents and students have expressed deep concern over the lack of regular instruction for final-year students preparing for the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). PRETAG Communications Director Kingsley Anyimadu warned that nearly 99% of schools currently lack teaching staff, signaling a near-total shutdown of the public basic education system.

In response to the crisis, the government, through Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, has urged the unions to suspend the strike while negotiations continue with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC). The government has proposed a 20% allowance for teachers in rural deprived areas to take effect in January 2027 and claims to have validated over 30,000 teachers for promotion out of an expected 80,000. Education Minister Iddrisu assured that efforts are being made to process affected salaries by October. Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, cautioned that the ongoing industrial action threatens to disrupt the recently stabilized academic calendar, urging teachers to reconsider their stance for the sake of the students.

Despite the government's appeals, union leaders remain cautious and have signaled potential escalation if their demands are not met. NAGRAT President Jacob Anaba stated that the association is currently consulting its regional and district councils to verify the government's claims regarding validated promotions and the list of eligible schools for the rural allowance. PRETAG has also threatened to intensify the strike if outstanding payments are not resolved promptly. As the FWSC meetings resume, the resolution of the strike hinges on the government's ability to provide a concrete roadmap for the payment of arrears and the formalization of improved conditions of service.