Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has visited the Osu Cluster of Schools to determine whether teachers have returned to their classrooms after unions suspended their strike.
Mr Iddrisu was accompanied by Deputy Minister of Education Dr Clement Apaak during the inspection, which focused on whether teaching and learning had resumed following the decision to end the industrial action.
The minister said the government remained committed to resolving teachers’ outstanding concerns while protecting the continuity of academic activity.
“Myself and the Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Clement Apaak, are here to assess whether the teachers have really returned to school after calling off the strike,” he said.
The visit came after teacher unions called off their strike, allowing schools to resume normal academic operations while discussions over unresolved issues continue.
Mr Iddrisu said the government had given teachers an assurance that promotion allowances would be paid to about 51,000 teachers by September 16. He added that the remaining concerns raised by teachers would also be dealt with.
“We have promised the teachers that by September 16, some 51,000 of them will be paid their promotion allowances, while the rest of the outstanding issues will be addressed,” he stated.
The minister also highlighted the importance of keeping to the academic calendar. He said its alignment with the university calendar, described as a development that had not happened for a long time, should support schools and provide greater continuity across the education system.
“We will also ensure that the academic calendar, which for the first time in a long while is aligned with that of the universities, will help the schools,” he said.
Mr Iddrisu praised the leadership of the teacher unions for agreeing to suspend the strike. He said their decision had created the opportunity for the government to continue working towards resolving their grievances.
“We want to congratulate the leadership of the teacher unions for their understanding and for calling off the strike to allow the government to proceed with addressing their grievances,” he added.
The government is expected to maintain its engagement with the teacher unions as it works to settle the outstanding matters and prevent further disruption to teaching and learning.
