Public basic schools across Ghana are expected to resume normal academic activities on Monday, October 12, following the suspension of a nationwide strike by pre-tertiary teacher unions over outstanding allowances and arrears.
The return to school is expected to restore teaching and learning after days of disruption caused by the industrial action, which affected public schools and raised concerns about the potential impact on pupils’ academic progress.
The strike began on September 25, 2026, after the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers took industrial action over unresolved concerns, including outstanding payments owed to teachers.
However, the unions announced the suspension of the strike on Friday, October 9, following engagements with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and an agreement on steps to address their demands.
As part of the resolution, the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) has committed to paying teachers their outstanding promotion allowances by October 16.
The commitment followed an intervention by the Council of State, which helped facilitate discussions between the teacher unions and the government in an effort to resolve the dispute.
The payment of promotion allowances was one of the major issues behind the strike, with the unions calling for the settlement of benefits owed to their members.
The suspension of the industrial action is expected to allow teachers to resume classroom duties while the relevant government agencies work to fulfil the commitments made during negotiations.
With academic activities expected to restart, attention is now focused on whether the outstanding allowances will be paid by the October 16 deadline.
Schools may also need to consider measures to recover instructional time lost during the strike to ensure that pupils’ academic progress is not significantly affected.
By: Prince Martey-Sogar.