The Education Ministry is expected to meet leaders of the teacher unions today, September 28, as efforts intensify to end the nationwide strike over unpaid promotion arrears and other outstanding demands.

The meeting is aimed at bringing the unions and key government institutions together to find a resolution and prevent the industrial action from further affecting the academic calendar.

The three teacher unions in Ghana declared a nationwide industrial action, effective Friday, September 25, 2026, over what they describe as prolonged delays in addressing critical concerns affecting teachers.

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Ghana (PRETAG) explained that the decision follows growing frustration among teachers over the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department’s (CAGD) handling of issues relating to their conditions of service.

They said negotiations for a new Collective Agreement have stalled despite the expiration of the existing agreement and an earlier expectation that the process would have been completed by June 2026.

They are also demanding the automatic placement of newly promoted teachers who successfully completed aptitude tests in December 2025 and February 2026.

The unions said the failure to implement the agreement between the Ministry of Education/Ghana Education Service and CAGD has left the affected teachers without placement on their respective salary scales with arrears dating from January 2026.

Meanwhile, the Press Secretary and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, Hasmin Mohammed, earlier disclosed that Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu would engage the unions and other stakeholders as part of efforts to persuade them to call off the strike.

Mr Mohammed explained that the outstanding issues could not be resolved by the Education Ministry alone, as they also involve the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department.

He said the engagement would therefore provide an opportunity for the relevant institutions to meet the unions and address their concerns directly.

The Ministry has expressed concern about the potential impact of the strike, particularly on efforts to stabilise Ghana’s academic calendar.

Mr Mohammed said significant work had gone into restoring the calendar after previous disruptions, allowing pupils and students from kindergarten through to university to report in September.

He warned that prolonged industrial action could jeopardise those gains, with students only recently returning to school.