The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) has called on the government to prioritise teacher welfare and intensify negotiations with pre-tertiary teacher unions to resolve the ongoing industrial action.
The call forms part of GNECC’s message to mark World Teachers’ Day 2026, being observed under the theme “Prioritizing Teacher Welfare for Quality Education.”
GNECC said this year’s celebration comes at a challenging period for Ghana’s education sector, with pre-tertiary teacher unions on strike over concerns relating to conditions of service, promotions, financial obligations and other issues affecting their welfare and working conditions.
The Coalition said the concerns raised by teachers deserved “urgent, genuine and sustained attention,” describing teachers as the backbone of Ghana’s education system.
According to GNECC, teachers play a critical role in translating education policies into classroom practice, nurturing the talents of children and supporting national development, often while working under difficult conditions in deprived and underserved communities.
It therefore urged the government to accelerate meaningful negotiations with teacher unions towards a fair and sustainable resolution of the outstanding issues.
GNECC also called on government to honour agreed commitments to teachers within clearly defined timelines and strengthen mechanisms for addressing concerns relating to promotions, remuneration, working conditions and deployment to deprived areas.
It further urged authorities to ensure that teacher welfare, professional development and wellbeing are adequately reflected in education planning and budgeting.
The Coalition also called for stronger channels of continuous engagement between government and teachers to enable concerns to be addressed before they escalate into industrial action.
While acknowledging the legitimate role of teacher unions in advocating for their members, GNECC encouraged the unions to remain open to constructive dialogue and every reasonable opportunity to resolve the current impasse.
However, the Coalition expressed concern about the impact of prolonged industrial action on learners, warning that the loss of instructional time could have serious consequences, particularly for children in vulnerable communities who already face inequalities in access to quality education.
It said the welfare of teachers and children’s right to quality and uninterrupted education should not be treated as competing priorities.
“A teacher who is valued, fairly treated, adequately supported and motivated is better positioned to provide quality education,” GNECC said, while stressing that every child also deserves uninterrupted learning and the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
The Coalition also appealed to development partners, civil society organisations, parents, communities and other education stakeholders to support efforts towards resolving the impasse and building a stronger education system.
GNECC expressed appreciation to teachers across Ghana for their dedication, sacrifice and commitment to shaping the future of the country, particularly those serving in difficult and underserved communities with limited resources.
It said the country must move beyond celebrating teachers once a year and instead build an education system in which teachers are heard, respected, fairly treated and provided with the conditions necessary to perform their duties effectively.
GNECC therefore urged the government and teacher unions to intensify dialogue and work towards an early, fair and sustainable resolution of the current impasse, with the interests of both teachers and learners at the centre.
Read the statement below:
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