Teachers to Return to Classroom on October 6? Education Minister Appeals for End of Strike

Ghana’s Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, has appealed to striking pre-tertiary teachers to return to the classroom on October 6, 2026, as government continues negotiations with their unions over outstanding concerns.

The appeal forms part of government’s efforts to end the nationwide strike involving the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG).

However, the available video does not establish that the teacher unions have agreed to resume work on October 6. In the video, the union leadership indicates that it would consult its members before communicating its position on whether teachers should return to the classroom.

This distinction is important because the Education Ministry’s position and the unions’ position were not the same at the time of the reported engagement.

Education Minister wants teachers back in classrooms

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has been appealing to the striking teachers to suspend the industrial action and return to teaching while discussions over their concerns continue.

Government has outlined measures intended to address issues raised by the unions, including teachers’ promotion-related payments, conditions of service and the proposed deprived-area allowance.

The Minister has also said the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) would meet the teacher unions on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, to continue discussions on their collective agreement and conditions of service.

The October 6 date is therefore significant in the dispute, but it should not be confused with a confirmed nationwide resumption date for teachers.

Teacher unions have not confirmed October 6 resumption

The video shared in connection with the development carries a clear indication that the union leadership still needed to consult its members before deciding whether teachers would return to the classroom.

That position is consistent with subsequent reporting on the October 2 engagement, when government presented an improved proposal to the unions.

The union leadership said the proposals would be considered before a final decision was communicated. PRETAG President King Ali Awudu also urged teachers to remain at home until the union leadership issued further direction.

This means that a report stating simply that “teachers will return to the classroom on October 6” would go beyond what the available source establishes.

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A more accurate description is that the Education Minister wants teachers to return to the classroom while negotiations continue, with October 6 also scheduled for further talks between the unions and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.

What government has proposed

The government’s proposals are linked to the concerns that triggered the industrial action.

Among the measures announced are continued discussions on the teachers’ collective agreement and conditions of service, validation of data relating to the proposed 20 per cent deprived-area allowance, and steps to process outstanding salary and promotion-related payments

Government has also directed the Ghana Education Service to submit information on promoted teachers to the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department to facilitate the processing of their salaries and arrears.

The Education Minister has appealed to teachers to return to the classroom while these processes continue.

Why October 6 matters to teachers and parents

For teachers, October 6 now has two important dimensions in the ongoing dispute.

It is the date government has announced for further engagement between the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the teacher unions on the collective agreement and conditions of service.

It is also the date by which the government wants normal teaching and learning to resume, based on the Education Minister’s appeal.

For parents and students, however, the immediate question remains whether the unions will accept the government’s proposals and formally direct their members to return.

The unions’ own position, as reflected in the video, is that they would first consult their members before communicating their decision.

The strike remains a developing situation

The three teacher unions began the nationwide industrial action on September 25, 2026, over unresolved concerns involving teachers’ conditions of service, promotion-related payments and the deprived-area allowance.

Government has since held several engagements with the unions in an attempt to resolve the dispute.

The latest proposals and the planned October 6 discussions could therefore determine the next stage of the negotiations, but the supplied video does not confirm that teachers have already accepted a return-to-school directive.

For now, the Education Minister’s position is that teachers should return to the classroom, while the unions’ position is that they will consult their members before deciding whether to end the strike. The final decision on resumption therefore remains with the unions and their members.

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