The Council of State has engaged the leadership of striking teacher unions in a bid to end the ongoing nationwide industrial action that has left public school classrooms empty across the country.
Speaking on behalf of the advisory body following a closed-door meeting, former Speaker of Parliament Edward Doe Adjaho described the engagement with union leaders as highly productive, signaling optimism that a breakthrough may be on the horizon.
Addressing journalists, Mr. Adjaho acknowledged the severe toll the industrial action is taking on pupils and educators alike, noting that empty classrooms across the nation underscore the urgency of reaching a deal.
“Our children are at home and our teachers too are also at home. The classrooms are empty but at the end of it all, I can assure you that we have a very fruitful discussion.”
According to the Chairman of the Council, union representatives laid out their full list of grievances before the Council, which were systematically examined during the deliberations.
“They put all their grievances before us, and one by one we looked at them,” Adjaho noted.
Following the Council’s intervention, the union delegation headed straight into another round of negotiations with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC). Mr. Adjaho confirmed that the teachers’ leadership promised to resume discussions with state mediators immediately after concluding their session with the commission.
“From here, they are going for another engagement with Fair Wages, and they promised that they will return immediately after finishing with the Fair Wages Commission,” Adjaho explained.
“We will stand by to hear from them, but I can assure you that it was very, very fruitful.”
The intervention by the Council of State marks a critical effort to bridge the impasse between the government and pre-tertiary teacher unions. With parents and stakeholders growing increasingly anxious over the academic calendar, expectations are high that the ongoing negotiations with the FWSC will yield a concrete agreement to reopen classrooms nationwide.
