A deepening industrial standoff has paralysed academic activities across Ghana’s teacher education sector, with the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) declaring an indefinite nationwide strike that has left lecture halls empty and the government scrambling for a solution.
The industrial action, which took full effect on Monday, November 24, 2025, affects all 46 public Colleges of Education, disrupting the studies of over 50,000 teacher trainees. The strike threatens to derail the current academic semester, halting lectures, project supervision, and the administration of internal examinations.
The Trigger: A Two-Year Delayed Promise
At the heart of the dispute is a binding arbitral award issued by the National Labour Commission (NLC) on May 2, 2023, which CETAG says the government has wilfully ignored.
The union’s grievances stem from financial and administrative failures dating back to 2022, including:
- All-Year-Round Work Compensation: Owed to tutors in 39 of the 46 colleges for additional workload undertaken in 2022, with only Accra College of Education having received partial payment.
- Book & Research Allowances: Significant arrears remain for both the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic years.
- Akrokerri College Arrears: “Top-up” arrears for the 2021/2022 period remain unpaid to staff at Akrokerri College of Education.
Additionally, CETAG has flagged the “unilateral downgrading” of teaching staff with Master’s degrees, which they say violates agreed conditions of service during the migration of colleges to tertiary status.
Minister’s Plea: “Give Us Two Weeks”
In an effort to resolve the standoff, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu convened an emergency dialogue with CETAG leadership on Tuesday, November 25. Acknowledging the state’s lapses, the Minister appealed for a temporary moratorium on the strike to allow the government to mobilise funds.
“We are negotiating. There were issues for which the National Labour Commission made a declaration and award in CETAG’s favour, which have not been respected by the government since 2022. We will see how we can remedy the situation,” Mr. Iddrisu said.
He urged teachers to consider suspending the strike, offering a two-week window for the state to act. “It goes back to 2022, but we will fix it within the next two weeks. The ball is in their court,” he added.
Next Steps: A Union Divided?
The meeting ended without an immediate suspension of the strike. CETAG leadership, wary of previous unfulfilled assurances, declined to call off the action unilaterally and has returned to consult the National Executive Committee (NEC) and general membership.
The union has promised to communicate a final decision to the Ministry “in the course of the week.” Meanwhile, campuses remain silent, and the fate of the academic term hangs in the balance.
