GES calls off two-day mid-term break to make up for strike disruptions

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has cancelled the two-day mid-term break scheduled for November 5 and 6, 2026, for basic schools nationwide as part of efforts to recover instructional hours lost during the recent nationwide teachers’ strike.

In a notice issued on Monday, November 2, the Service directed all basic schools to remain open and continue with normal academic activities on Thursday, November 5, and Friday, November 6, instead of observing the planned break.

The decision is intended to provide additional teaching and learning time to compensate for lessons disrupted during the industrial action, which kept teachers away from classrooms for nearly two weeks.

GES has therefore urged teachers, pupils, parents and guardians to take note of the revised arrangement and ensure that students report to school as scheduled on both days.

The nationwide strike was declared on September 25, 2026, by three pre-tertiary 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 embarked on the industrial action over outstanding concerns involving teachers’ promotions, unpaid salary arrears, allowances and conditions of service.

The strike was suspended on October 9 following engagements involving the unions, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment, and the Council of State.

Teachers were subsequently directed to return to the classroom on Monday, October 12, after an agreement was reached with the government on timelines for addressing some of their outstanding demands.

The disruption affected teaching and learning in public schools, raising concerns about lost instructional hours and the possible implications for the academic calendar.

The cancellation of the November mid-term break forms part of measures by GES to address the lost classroom time and maintain continuity in academic activities.

By keeping basic schools open on November 5 and 6, the Service hopes to create additional opportunities for teachers to deliver lessons and help pupils catch up on portions of the curriculum affected by the strike.

GES has called on all education stakeholders to cooperate with the revised schedule to ensure that teaching and learning proceed as planned.

Parents and guardians are expected to make the necessary arrangements for their children and wards to attend school on the two affected days.