The Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) has urged the government and pre-tertiary teacher unions to intensify negotiations to end the ongoing nationwide strike by teachers in Ghana. The strike, which began on September 25, 2026, had entered its 12th day as of October 7, disrupting instructional time and affecting the academic calendar. Eduwatch emphasized that the strike is a result of unresolved concerns over the placement of promoted teachers on their appropriate salary scales and payment of related arrears.
According to Eduwatch, the strike is also due to delays in concluding negotiations on a new Collective Agreement and the non-operationalisation of the Deprived Area Allowance. The education advocacy organisation warned that every additional day of the disruption reduces instructional time and could undermine learning outcomes, with vulnerable learners likely to be affected most. Eduwatch noted that these learners depend on schools for teaching, feeding, and other essential support services.
Eduwatch has called on 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 the teacher unions to reach a credible and time-bound agreement that puts the interests of learners at the centre. The organisation also urged the CAGD and GES to immediately ensure that promoted teachers receive their rightful compensation without further delay.
The organisation raised concerns about the management of collective bargaining, noting that the existing Collective Agreement was due to expire in June 2026. Eduwatch stated that the unions had indicated that proposals for its review were submitted several months earlier. The organisation argued that negotiations should begin sufficiently ahead of the expiry of existing agreements, with clear timelines for reaching conclusions.
Eduwatch identified weaknesses in teacher human-resource and payroll management and proposed a number of reforms. These include digitising GES and CAGD processes to reduce delays in promotion and payroll placement. The organisation also recommended decentralising teacher promotions by giving Regional Education Directorates greater responsibility for assessment, verification, and routine processing.
The organisation further called for an annual promotion cycle with clear timelines and urged authorities to make payroll placement automatic and time-bound once a promotion has been approved. Eduwatch also suggested that teachers should be able to track the status of their promotions and payroll placement through a digital platform. This, Eduwatch believes, will help reduce delays and ensure a more efficient system.
On the Deprived Area Allowance, Eduwatch said the proposed 20 per cent allowance was intended to improve teacher motivation and retention in deprived and hard-to-reach communities but has yet to be operationalised. The organisation urged the Ministry of Education, teacher unions, and GES to urgently agree on a workable framework for identifying deprived areas and eligible beneficiaries, with the Ministry of Finance providing the necessary fiscal and budgetary support for implementation.
Key points
- Eduwatch calls for urgent resolution of teachers' strike and reforms in promotion system
- The strike has disrupted instructional time and affected the academic calendar
- Eduwatch proposes reforms, including digitising GES and CAGD processes and decentralising teacher promotions
