Call off strike, we’ll address your concerns – GES to teacher unions
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has appealed to pre-tertiary teacher unions to suspend their ongoing strike while government continues efforts to resolve their outstanding concerns.
GES Director-General, Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, cautioned that the industrial action could disrupt efforts to maintain a stable and predictable academic calendar.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, Professor Davis said the government was engaging the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour, Controller and Accountant-General’s Department and other relevant stakeholders to find solutions to the teachers’ concerns.
The appeal comes less than two weeks into the new academic year, which Professor Davis described as an important milestone in restoring stability to Ghana’s education calendar following several years of disruptions.
He noted that, for the first time in about six years, students at different levels of the education system had resumed school within September, describing the achievement as the result of sustained efforts.
According to him, the development has helped establish a more coordinated and predictable academic calendar, allowing parents and other stakeholders to plan ahead.
He therefore urged the teacher unions to reconsider their decision while discussions continue to address their outstanding demands.
Professor Davis also highlighted measures undertaken by the GES to respond to teachers’ concerns, including the mechanisation of promotions last year. He assured teachers that the Service remains committed to fulfilling its obligations despite existing challenges.
He stressed that preserving the stability of the academic calendar remains a key priority and urged all stakeholders to work together to prevent further disruptions to the school year.
The strike was declared by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG).
The unions are demanding, among other things, the payment of outstanding promotion arrears, progress towards a new Collective Agreement and the implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance.
The industrial action began on September 25, 2026, after the unions said their concerns had not been resolved.
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