Education Ministry renews return-to-class appeal despite teachers’ refusal to end strike

The Ministry of Education has reiterated its plea for striking pre-tertiary teachers to return to their classrooms, despite the unions' refusal to end their indefinite industrial action. The renewed appeal came after the teacher unions declined to implement an earlier request by Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu for them to resume teaching.

During a meeting on Monday, September 28, the unions expressed dissatisfaction with the Education Minister and other government officials, stating that they are not taking promises and demand concrete action.

Despite the unions' stance, the Education Ministry remains committed to resolving the issues and restoring teaching and learning. Hashmin Mohammed, the Ministry's Press Secretary, emphasized that the government's priority is to get teachers back into the classroom to protect the academic calendar and benefit the young learners and the nation.

The Ministry has also directed the Ghana Education Service (GES) to provide data on teachers who have not received their promotion-related payments to the Controller and Accountant-General's Department (CAGD), which will facilitate the processing of the overdue payments.

The unions' demands extend beyond the Ministry's direct mandate, including payment of outstanding promotion-related arrears, progress on negotiations for a new Collective Agreement, and the implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance. The indefinite strike began on September 25, following a deadline on September 24, given to the government to address the unions' concerns without a resolution.