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 an estimated 50,000+ teacher trainees.
The strike threatens to derail the current academic semester, halting lectures, project supervision, and the critical 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 argues the government has wilfully ignored.
The Union’s grievances are rooted in specific financial and administrative failures dating back to 2022. According to data released by the Association, the government has failed to clear:
- All-Year-Round Work Compensation: Owed to tutors in 39 out of the 46 colleges for additional workload undertaken in 2022. To date, only the Accra College of Education has received partial payment.
- Book & Research Allowances: Significant arrears remain outstanding for both the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic years.
- Akrokerri College Arrears: Specific “top-up” arrears for the 2021/2022 period remain unpaid to staff at the Akrokerri College of Education.
Furthermore, the Association has flagged the “unilateral downgrading” of teaching staff holding Master’s degrees, a move they claim violates the conditions of service agreed upon during the migration of colleges to tertiary status.
Minister’s Plea: “Give Us Two Weeks”
In a bid to arrest the situation, the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, convened an emergency dialogue with CETAG leadership on Tuesday, November 25. Admitting that the state had faltered in its obligations, the Minister appealed for a moratorium on the strike to allow the government to mobilise the necessary 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 told the press after the meeting.
He offered a specific timeline for resolution, urging the teachers to return to the classroom in the interim.
“I have asked them to consider calling off the strike and giving us two weeks to see what the state can do. It goes back to 2022, but we will fix it within the next two weeks. The ball is in their court.”
Next Steps: A Union Divided?
The meeting concluded without an immediate suspension of the strike. CETAG leadership, wary of previous unfulfilled assurances, declined to unilaterally call off the action. Instead, they have retreated to consult their National Executive Committee (NEC) and general membership.
The Union has promised to convey a final decision to the Ministry “in the course of the week”.
Until then, the campuses remain quiet, and the fate of the academic term hangs in the balance.
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