GES urges striking teachers to return to work, warns of threat to academic calendar

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has called on striking teachers to resume work, warning that the ongoing industrial action jeopardizes the recently established stable academic calendar. Director-General Professor Ernest Kofi Davis emphasized that schools reopened in September for the first time in nearly six years, a milestone achieved through collective effort.

Speaking on September 29, Professor Davis highlighted the predictability and synchronization of the calendar, which benefits parents, schools, and stakeholders in planning. The strike, initiated by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG), centers on demands such as payment of overdue promotion arrears, progress in negotiations for a new Collective Agreement, and the implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance.

While the government and relevant state institutions are working towards a resolution, the GES has appealed to the unions to reconsider their decision while these negotiations progress. Professor Davis acknowledged the GES's recent steps, including the mechanization of promotions, and reiterated the Service's commitment to resolving the teachers' concerns.

He underscored that maintaining the stability of the academic calendar remains a priority and urged all stakeholders to collaborate towards a school year free from further disruptions.