The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) will consult its councils on proposals presented by the government as part of efforts to resolve the ongoing teachers’ strike.
NAGRAT President, Jacob Anaba, said the union needs to verify the government’s proposals and consult its leadership before taking a position on whether to accept them.
The proposals include measures to address outstanding promotion related payments for teachers and the implementation of a 20% Deprived Area Allowance for teachers working in underserved communities.
According to Mr Anaba, the Ghana Education Service has validated more than 30,000 teachers who went through the promotion process, while government has indicated that the process could cover about 80,000 teachers. The validated data is expected to be submitted to the Controller and Accountant General’s Department for payment processing.
On the Deprived Area Allowance, government has proposed that the allowance should take effect from January 2027. However, NAGRAT wants to verify government’s identification of about 11,300 schools that could qualify for the allowance before accepting the proposal.
The government has, however, outlined several measures to address concerns raised by striking teacher unions after a meeting with the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu.
The unions are also demanding progress on a new Collective Agreement after the existing agreement expired. Government has proposed October 6, 2026 for negotiations on the Collective Agreement and conditions of service.
NAGRAT has maintained that the government’s commitments should be backed by clear and binding timelines before the strike is called off. Mr Anaba said the union wants the commitments documented and signed, particularly on the Collective Agreement, promotion payments and the Deprived Area Allowance.
The strike was declared on September 25, 2026, by NAGRAT, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) over concerns including promotion arrears, the Collective Agreement and the Deprived Area Allowance
The teacher unions have said they will remain on strike until they see concrete action on their demands, including payments reflected in teachers’ accounts.
NAGRAT’s consultation with its councils is therefore expected to help determine the union’s next position on the government’s proposals and the ongoing industrial action.
Jacob Anaba is the President of NAGRAT. He previously served as Vice President of the association before taking over from Angel Carbonu in 2025.
