In the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana, pupils have been attending school since Friday, only to find empty classrooms due to the ongoing teachers' strike. The strike, led by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers and Educational Workers' Union (PRETAG), has resulted in shuttered doors and idle compounds. Pupils who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) expressed their concerns about the prolonged disruption and its impact on their preparation for upcoming end-of-term examinations.
A visit to several public basic and junior high schools in the metropolis on Monday morning found many classrooms deserted, with only a handful of pupils lingering on school grounds and no academic activity taking place. The pupils have continued showing up to school, hoping lessons would resume. They have appealed directly to the government, the Ministry of Education, and the leadership of the teacher unions to hold constructive talks and reach a settlement so that teachers could return to their classrooms.
The teachers' grievances centre on unresolved placement of promoted teachers, non-payment of the 20 per cent Deprived Area Allowance, and the failure to sign a new Collective Agreement covering their conditions of service. According to the GNA, the Controller and Accountant-General's Department (CAGD) had so far paid only 6,079 of 58,620 promised teacher promotions. The dispute has already stalled learning in several regions, and the pupils are worried about the impact on their education.
The walkout is part of the wider Ghana Teachers Strike 2026 dispute. The Education Ministry and teacher unions were scheduled to meet on Monday over the strike. An MP has urged the government to settle striking teachers' demands before committing GH₵2 billion to the Accra-Kumasi Expressway project, arguing that resolving the classroom crisis should take priority over big-ticket infrastructure spending.
The dispute has drawn attention in Parliament, with lawmakers debating the priority of resolving the classroom crisis. The MP's comments highlight the need for the government to address the teachers' concerns and find a resolution to the strike. The pupils are eagerly awaiting a resolution, as the strike continues to disrupt their learning.
What began largely as a wage and conditions-of-service dispute between the unions and government is now visibly translating into lost instructional time for basic and JHS pupils across the country. In Kumasi, that loss is measured in days pupils have spent on empty compounds since Friday, with examinations looming and no lessons taking place to prepare them.
The sources do not indicate whether the Monday meeting between the Education Ministry and the teacher unions has produced any resolution, nor do they give a date by which the strike is expected to end. GNAT, NAGRAT, and PRETAG have maintained that teachers will stay away from classrooms until the placement of promoted teachers, payment of the Deprived Area Allowance, and the signing of a new Collective Agreement are addressed.
Key points
- Pupils in Kumasi, Ghana, are reporting to empty classrooms due to the ongoing teachers' strike.
- The strike is led by GNAT, NAGRAT, and PRETAG, and centres on unresolved teacher promotions, non-payment of allowances, and a new Collective Agreement.
- The pupils are appealing to the government to resolve the issue, citing concerns about the impact on their education and upcoming examinations.
