The Ghana Education Service (GES) has appealed to pre-tertiary teacher unions to call off their ongoing strike, warning that the industrial action could undermine recent efforts to restore stability and predictability to Ghana’s academic calendar.

Director-General of the GES, Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, said the government and relevant state institutions are engaging the unions to address their outstanding concerns.

Speaking to the press on Tuesday, September 29, he said the GES was working with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour, the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department and other stakeholders to find solutions to the issues raised by the teachers.

Professor Davis said the strike comes at a critical time for the education sector, barely two weeks into the new academic year.

He noted that the timely reopening of schools this year represented a significant step towards restoring stability to an academic calendar that has faced disruptions in recent years.

“For the first time in approximately six years, we have reached a point where students across the various levels of our education system have reported to school within September. This did not happen by accident. It was achieved through hard work,” he noted while addressing the press.

According to the GES Director-General, the development has created a more predictable and synchronised academic calendar, allowing parents, schools and other stakeholders to plan more effectively.

He therefore appealed to the unions to reconsider their decision while engagements with government continue.

“We wish to associate ourselves therefore with the Ministry of Education’s appeal to teachers to rescind their decision as we work hard to address their issues,” he said.

Professor Davis also highlighted steps taken by the GES to address teachers’ concerns, including the mechanisation of promotions last year.

He assured teachers that the Service remains committed to meeting its obligations despite the challenges confronting the education sector.

He stressed that preserving the stability of the academic calendar remains a priority and urged all stakeholders to work towards ensuring that the school year proceeds without further disruption.

The strike was declared by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG).

The unions are demanding, among other things, the payment of outstanding promotion arrears, progress on negotiations for a new Collective Agreement and implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance.

The industrial action began on September 25, 2026, after the unions said their concerns remained unresolved.