A nationwide strike by Ghana's three main pre-tertiary teacher unions, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and Pre-Tertiary Education Teachers Association (PRETAG), has entered its second week. The strike began on September 25, 2026, and is over promotion arrears and pay demands that the government missed after a September 24, 2026 deadline.
The unions are demanding the automatic placement of teachers who passed promotion examinations in December 2025 and February 2026, payment of related arrears from January 2026, a new collective agreement, and implementation of a deprived-area allowance. The government has stated that promoted teachers' salaries have been upgraded and arrears are expected to be paid from October, while negotiations on other demands continue.
The strike has left classrooms largely empty, disrupting teaching and learning, and the government has acknowledged concerns about the possible impact on the academic calendar. The Ministry of Education has expressed worry that the strike could affect efforts to maintain the academic calendar after previous disruptions, including those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the closure of schools in 2020.
According to UNICEF, approximately nine million children in Ghana experienced learning disruption during the pandemic, with nearly eight million partially missing the third term of that academic year. The country has since worked to restore the academic calendar, with the newly released 2026/2027 calendar providing for a 15-week first term, beginning September 8, 2026, and ending December 17, 2026.
The editorial by The Ghanaian Chronicle on October 8, 2026, emphasized that the government and teacher unions must return to the negotiating table with urgency and good faith to resolve the strike. The Chronicle noted that the strike is a national education crisis that requires compromise and that neither side should underestimate what is at stake.
The Chronicle also highlighted that teachers who successfully passed promotion examinations in December 2025 and February 2026 should not have to endure prolonged delays before receiving the salaries and arrears associated with their promotions. The unions are also demanding a new collective agreement, following the expiration of the existing one.
The government and teacher unions must dialogue, reach an amicable settlement, and get teachers back into classrooms without further delay, as the children of Ghana cannot afford another disrupted school year.
Key points
- The strike is over promotion arrears and pay demands that the government missed after a September 24, 2026 deadline.
- The government has stated that promoted teachers' salaries have been upgraded and arrears are expected to be paid from October.
- The strike has disrupted teaching and learning, and the government has acknowledged concerns about the possible impact on the academic calendar.
