Teachers spurn govt’s plea, won’t return to classroom
Striking teacher unions have rejected the government’s appeal to suspend their nationwide industrial action, insisting they will not return to the classroom until concrete action is taken on their outstanding demands.
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) took the position after a crunch meeting with the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, on Monday, September 28, 2026.
The meeting, which was also attended by officials from the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Ghana Education Service, was aimed at resolving the impasse that triggered the strike on Friday, September 25.
Mr Iddrisu appealed to the unions to call off the strike and return to the classroom while negotiations continue, expressing concern about the impact on the academic calendar which has just been restored to the September-to-July cycle.
But the unions say the meeting produced nothing new.
“It has been the old story of promises upon promises,” said Isaac Baah, Head of Salaries, Grievances and Negotiations at GNAT. “Where we have reached at the moment, we are not taking promises. We want action.”
“Our teachers must continue to stay home until we see something concrete. Until we see the salary, the arrears reflected on our payslips and credited to our accounts. Until we see that, we are not going back to school,” he added.
The key demands include payment of outstanding promotion arrears, implementation of the 20 percent Deprived Area Allowance, and conclusion of negotiations on a new Collective Agreement after the expiration of the previous one.
Mr Baah demanded documentary evidence of the government’s assurance that the Deprived Area Allowance will start in January 2027.
“So, what is the evidence? What has been put on paper? What is on paper to show that they will start paying the deprived area allowance by 2027? We want to see it. We want to see something documented,” he said.
Govt Outlines Roadmap
Mr Iddrisu has announced a government roadmap to address the concerns. He directed the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service to submit data on all promoted teachers to the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department by October 5, 2026, to process outstanding payments.
The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission is expected to meet the unions to continue negotiations on the Collective Agreement.
On the Deprived Area Allowance, the Minister said the government has constituted a validation committee, chaired by the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, to validate data and develop an implementation roadmap from January 2027.
The Director-General of the GES, Prof. Ernest Davis, has also appealed to teachers to reconsider their decision, citing progress made in expanding promotion opportunities, with the establishment ceiling for Director-2 rank increasing from 272 to 4,405 positions.
Despite the appeals, the unions say the strike continues indefinitely until all issues are addressed and resolved, leaving teaching and learning disrupted in public basic and secondary schools across the country.
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