The Institute for Education Studies (IFEST) has expressed support for the ongoing nationwide strike by pre-tertiary teacher unions in Ghana. Executive Director Dr. Peter Anti stated that industrial action is necessary to prompt the government to address the teachers' outstanding concerns. He argued that the teachers had raised these issues long before embarking on the strike, but the government failed to act with the required urgency.
According to Dr. Anti, the teacher unions had approached the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) in late 2025 to renegotiate their collective agreement, which expired in June 2026. However, the failure to resolve these issues before the strike demonstrated a lack of urgency on the part of the relevant authorities. Dr. Anti emphasized that the strike is the only language the government understands.
Dr. Anti rejected suggestions that the validation of over 51,000 outstanding teacher promotion claims should be enough for the unions to suspend the strike. He noted that validation does not necessarily mean payment, and the affected teachers are still awaiting payment. Calling off the strike before resolving the outstanding issues could result in further delays.
Dr. Anti's comments follow renewed negotiations between the teacher unions, the FWSC, and the Ghana Education Service, which ended on October 6, 2026, without an agreement. The parties are expected to reconvene on October 7, 2026, as efforts continue to resolve the issues underpinning the nationwide strike.
The IFEST Executive Director urged the government to use the ongoing negotiations to settle the outstanding issues if it wants teachers to return to the classroom. He cited previous experiences where teachers suspended industrial action based on government assurances, only to find that some issues were not resolved within the expected timeframe.
The strike by pre-tertiary teachers in Ghana has sparked various reactions, with some stakeholders calling for an end to the strike and others supporting the teachers' demands. The government has assured teachers that their concerns will be addressed, but the strike continues.
The negotiations between the teacher unions and government representatives will continue, with all parties seeking a resolution to the impasse. The outcome of these negotiations will determine the next course of action for the striking teachers.
Key points
- The Institute for Education Studies (IFEST) supports the nationwide strike by pre-tertiary teacher unions in Ghana.
- IFEST Executive Director Dr. Peter Anti believes that strike action is necessary to compel the government to address the teachers' outstanding concerns.
- The negotiations between the teacher unions and government representatives will continue to resolve the issues underpinning the strike.
