Eduwatch calls for urgent resolution of teachers’ strike and reforms
Education policy think tank Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) has called for an urgent resolution to the nationwide strike by Ghana’s pre-tertiary teacher unions, warning that continued disruption of classes is denying pupils valuable instructional time and could affect learning outcomes.
The Ghana Education Watch (Eduwatch) has called for a swift resolution to the ongoing 12-day nationwide strike by pre-tertiary teacher unions in Ghana. The teacher unions are demanding action on several issues, including the placement of promoted teachers in the correct salary scales, payment of overdue salaries, the conclusion of discussions on a new Collective Agreement, and the implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance.
Eduwatch warns that the strike is negatively impacting the teaching and learning process and poses risks to the well-being of vulnerable children, many of whom rely on schools for services such as school feeding. The organization urges the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service, and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department to expedite negotiations and reach a time-bound agreement to end the strike.
Eduwatch emphasizes that the interests of learners should be at the forefront of these discussions. The current dispute also raises questions about the process of collective bargaining in the education sector. Eduwatch argues that the existing Collective Agreement, which expired in June 2026, should have been reviewed well before its expiration date, as the teacher unions submitted proposals for its review several months prior.
The organization proposes that collective bargaining negotiations should commence well before existing agreements expire, with clear timelines and milestones for reaching a settlement. Eduwatch suggests that delays leading to industrial action impose the greatest cost on learners by depriving them of valuable classroom time. The organization calls for stronger institutional accountability to prevent such disruptions in the future.
Eduwatch also highlights the need for reforms to improve the management of the teaching workforce, including the digitization of processes between the Ghana Education Service and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department, and the decentralization of the teacher promotion process.
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