The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has suspended its planned nationwide strike, which was scheduled for April 30, following a direct intervention from President John Mahama.
The President, acting through Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, instructed the Ministry of Education to urgently address the concerns raised by GNAT, particularly regarding long-overdue teacher promotions.
According to the Ghana Education Service, out of the 54,000 teachers who were due for promotion this month, 50,000 have already been promoted.
Furthermore, 579 of the 1,579 teachers who had previously been removed from the payroll have had their names reinstated.
GNAT’s General Secretary, Thomas Tanko Musah, expressed appreciation to the President and other stakeholders for acting swiftly to resolve the matter.
“We believe that what His Excellency has done, subsequent promotions I will not be surprised if we see more teachers now taking more positions. They can now rise to the position of deputy directors,” he said.
Following meetings with the Public Services Commission and the Ghana Education Service, GNAT agreed to halt the strike and continue working with authorities to ensure all outstanding issues are resolved by the end of May.
However, new concerns are emerging. GNAT is accusing some Regional Directors of Education of deliberately hindering the upgrading of teachers.
Mr Musah urged cooperation across all levels, stating that the Director General of GES has agreed to issue a strong directive to regional heads to support the process.
The developments mark a temporary relief for schools and students, though the broader conversation around teachers’ welfare is far from over.