STORY BY IRENE KABUKIE KWAO –
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has cancelled the two-day mid-term break scheduled for November 5 and 6, 2026, for basic schools nationwide in a move to recover instructional hours lost during the recent nationwide teachers’ strike.
The Service has directed all basic schools to continue with regular classroom activities on November 5 and 6, 2026, instead of closing for the two-day break initially scheduled for those dates.
The move forms part of efforts by the education authorities to recover valuable teaching hours lost during the recent nationwide teachers’ strike, which disrupted academic activities in public schools for almost two weeks.
In a directive released on Monday, November 2, GES asked teachers, parents and guardians to take note of the change and ensure that students attend school on both days.
The development follows an industrial action launched on September 25 by three major teacher unions: the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG).
The unions cited unresolved issues involving delayed promotions, unpaid salary arrears, allowances and other concerns relating to teachers’ conditions of service as reasons for the strike.
However, the industrial action was called off on October 9 after discussions between the unions and key government institutions, including the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment, and the Council of State.
Following the suspension, teachers were instructed to return to their classrooms on October 12, with government commitments to address some of the concerns within agreed timelines.
The strike significantly affected the academic calendar, with schools losing several days of classroom instruction.
GES is now seeking to limit the impact of the disruption by using the two days originally allocated for the mid-term holiday to facilitate additional lessons.
The Service has appealed to teachers, parents, guardians and other stakeholders to support the revised schedule to ensure that teaching and learning proceed without further interruptions.
