The Ghanaian government has scheduled a meeting with the leadership of the country's pre-tertiary teacher unions for Monday, September 28, 2026. This meeting aims to address the unresolved concerns over teachers' conditions of service and find a way to end the ongoing nationwide strike. The strike was initiated by the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), and the Pre Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) due to several unresolved issues.
The teacher unions have raised concerns over outstanding promotion arrears owed to teachers who have advanced to higher grades and delays in negotiations over their conditions of service. These issues are considered urgent, particularly the settlement of financial obligations arising from promotions and progress towards an agreement on outstanding employment conditions. The unions have emphasized that their primary goal is to secure a resolution to these matters.
NAGRAT President, Jacob Anaba, has stated that the unions are prepared to engage with the government if the proposed discussions provide a genuine opportunity to address the matters that led to the industrial action. He explained that the purpose of raising these concerns was to secure their resolution and indicated that the unions would participate in any meaningful engagement capable of producing progress on the outstanding issues.
According to Mr. Anaba, he was initially informed that the Ministry of Education had attempted to reach him, and subsequently received a call from the Chief Director of the Ministry of Employment, Jobs and Labour Relations confirming that a meeting had been arranged with the unions. The union leadership will attend the meeting with the objective of finding a resolution to the dispute.
The forthcoming discussions are expected to bring together representatives of the teacher unions and officials from the relevant government institutions to examine the outstanding grievances and consider possible measures for resolving the impasse. This meeting represents a fresh opportunity for both sides to deliberate on the unresolved issues, which could influence the prospects of restoring normal academic activities in pre-tertiary educational institutions across the country.
The Education Ministry has expressed concern about the possible consequences of the industrial action for teaching and learning, particularly its potential effect on the academic calendar. The ministry is likely to emphasize the need for a swift resolution to the dispute to minimize disruptions to the education sector.
The meeting on September 28, 2026, is a crucial step towards resolving the ongoing strike and addressing the concerns of the teacher unions. The outcome of the meeting will be closely watched by stakeholders in the education sector, who are eager to see a return to normalcy in the country's pre-tertiary educational institutions.
Key points
- The Ghanaian government will meet with teacher unions on September 28, 2026, to address concerns over teachers' conditions of service and end the nationwide strike.
