Teachers Unite in Fury: Ghana's Education System Rocked by Strike Over Unpaid Arrears

Teacher unions in Ghana, including the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG), have declared an indefinite industrial action. This strike is in response to a range of unresolved issues concerning their conditions of service, prompting the Minority in Parliament to call for urgent government intervention to avert widespread disruption.

According to a statement issued on Friday, September 25, 2026, by Frank Asiedu Bekoe, the Member of Parliament for Suhum and Deputy Ranking Member of the Employment, Labour Relations and Pensions Committee, the core issues include significant delays in negotiating a new Collective Agreement. Furthermore, the Minority highlighted the government's failure to automatically place teachers on new grades after they successfully pass aptitude tests for promotion. A critical point of contention is also the non-payment of the Deprived Area Allowance, which is explicitly provided for under Section 17(2) of the 2024 Collective Agreement for Teaching Staff within the Ghana Education Service.

The Minority Caucus emphasized that these demands are not new but rather agreed-upon conditions of service that they allege have not been implemented by the government through the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the Controller and Accountant-General's Department (CAGD). They linked the ongoing dispute to deteriorating learning outcomes, referencing the performance recorded in the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) as evidence. The Minority argued that neglecting teachers' concerns directly impacts the quality of education, stating, “when you frustrate the teacher, you fail the child,” and urged the government to prioritize teacher welfare and working conditions.

In light of these escalating tensions, the Minority made several specific demands. They called on the government to immediately engage GNAT, NAGRAT, and PRETAG to conclude negotiations on the new Collective Agreement. They also demanded that the Controller and Accountant-General's Department promptly place all promoted teachers on their new grades and pay their outstanding arrears from January 2026. Additionally, the Caucus pushed for the immediate implementation of the 20 percent Deprived Area Allowance for teachers serving in hard-to-reach communities. Mr. Asiedu Bekoe stressed the importance of prioritizing the education sector, asserting, “Government must prioritise the classroom over distractions. If we lose our teachers, we lose our nation.”

In response to the nationwide strike, the Ministry of Education announced a crucial meeting with the country’s teacher unions on Monday, September 28. This meeting represents a fresh attempt to resolve the dispute over unpaid promotion arrears and other outstanding demands. Hasmin Mohammed, Press Secretary and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, disclosed this on Joy FM’s Midday News on Friday, September 25, stating that the Education Minister would engage various stakeholders to prevent the strike from further disrupting the academic calendar.

Mr. Mohammed acknowledged that the resolution of the dispute extends beyond the Education Ministry, requiring the direct involvement of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department. He indicated that Monday’s meeting would serve as a platform for these relevant institutions to engage directly with the unions. The Ministry expressed deep concern over the strike's potential impact, highlighting significant efforts made to restore the academic calendar to normality, with students from kindergarten through university now reporting in September. Mr. Mohammed warned that continued industrial action could undermine these hard-won gains, emphasizing the Ministry's commitment to do everything within its capacity to prevent further disruption to the academic calendar.