Nationwide CETAG Strike Leaves Over 50,000 College Students Stranded

Academic activities at Ghana’s 46 public Colleges of Education have come to a complete standstill as the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) declared an indefinite strike, leaving more than 50,000 teacher trainees unable to attend classes or complete essential coursework.

The strike, which began on Monday, November 24, 2025, has disrupted lectures, project supervision, and internal examinations, putting the current semester in jeopardy. CETAG said the industrial action is a response to unresolved grievances that have persisted for years, including the government’s failure to implement a binding arbitral award issued by the National Labour Commission (NLC) in May 2023.

Among the union’s complaints are unpaid all-year-round work allowances for tutors in most colleges, outstanding book and research allowances for the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic years, and “top-up” arrears owed to staff at Akrokerri College of Education for the 2021/2022 period. CETAG also cited the unilateral downgrading of teaching staff with Master’s degrees, which the union claims violatespreviously agreed conditions during the colleges’ transition to tertiary status.

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu met with CETAG leadership on Tuesday, November 25, urging teachers to suspend the strike temporarily to allow the government time to mobilise the necessary funds. “We acknowledge the issues raised and will do our best to address them within the next two weeks. The ball is in their court,” he said, appealing for a short pause in industrial action.

The union, however, declined to call off the strike immediately, citing past unfulfilled assurances. CETAG has returned to consult its National Executive Committee and members before making a final decision, which it has promised to communicate later in the week.

With talks ongoing, classrooms remain empty and campuses quiet, leaving students and staff uncertain about the resumption of academic activities and the completion of the semester.