The Ghana Education Service (GES) has appealed to striking teacher unions to suspend their industrial action, warning that the strike could undermine recent efforts to restore stability to Ghana’s academic calendar.

Director-General of the GES, Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, said schools across the country reopened in September for the first time in about six years, describing the development as a major achievement that should be protected.

According to him, the strike, which began barely two weeks after the start of the new academic year, risks disrupting the progress made towards establishing a predictable and synchronised school calendar.

“For the first time in approximately six years, we have reached a point where students across the various levels of our education system have reported to school within September. This did not happen by accident. It was achieved through hard work,” he said.

Speaking to the press on Tuesday, September 29, Professor Davis said the timely reopening of schools had provided parents, teachers and other stakeholders with greater certainty in planning the academic year.

The industrial action, which started on September 25, was declared by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG).

The unions are demanding, among other things, the payment of outstanding promotion arrears, progress on negotiations for a new Collective Agreement and the implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance.

Professor Davis said discussions were ongoing between the government and the unions to address the concerns raised by teachers.

He said the GES was collaborating with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour, Controller and Accountant-General’s Department and other relevant institutions to find lasting solutions to the issues.

“We wish to associate ourselves therefore with the Ministry of Education’s appeal to teachers to rescind their decision as we work hard to address their issues,” he said.

The GES Director-General also pointed to measures already taken to address some of the concerns of teachers, including the mechanisation of promotions last year.

He assured teachers that the Service remained committed to fulfilling its obligations despite the challenges confronting the education sector.

Professor Davis further urged all stakeholders to work together to protect the stability of the academic calendar and prevent further disruption to teaching and learning.