The Ministry of Education is set to meet leaders of Ghana’s teacher unions on Monday, September 28, as efforts intensify to end a nationwide strike by pre-tertiary teachers.
The meeting will focus on the concerns raised by the unions, including unpaid promotion arrears and delays in negotiations with the government.
Press Secretary and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, Hasmin Mohammed, disclosed the planned meeting during an interview today, September 25.
He said Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu would use the meeting to engage the unions and other relevant institutions in an attempt to resolve the dispute.
According to Mr Mohammed, the Education Ministry alone cannot settle all the issues because the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department are also involved.
He said Monday’s meeting would therefore provide an opportunity for the various institutions and the teacher unions to engage directly and work towards resolving the outstanding concerns.
The Ministry has expressed concern about the strike because of its possible impact on Ghana’s academic calendar.
Mr Mohammed said considerable work had already been done to restore the academic calendar after previous disruptions. He noted that pupils and students from kindergarten through to university are now reporting to school in September.
He warned that a prolonged strike could affect the progress made in returning the academic year to its normal schedule.
The teacher unions began the nationwide strike on Friday, September 25, over the unresolved issues.
The Ministry says it will use Monday’s engagement to bring the parties together and find a way to end the industrial action.
