By Prince Nornorme
Ve Koloenu (V/R), Oct. 09, GNA– Final-year students at Ve Senior High School (VESEC) in the Afadzato South District have expressed worry over lost learning time as the nationwide teachers’ strike enters its third week.
With little or no academic instruction, the students say they are particularly concerned about their preparation for the upcoming West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
A visit by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) to the school on Friday, saw Form Three students reporting to class, sitting for hours and returning to their dormitories without a single lesson.
The nationwide strike by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT-GH) began on September 25, 2026.
The teachers are demanding action on outstanding concerns including the placement of promoted teachers on their new salary levels, payment of related arrears, and negotiations on conditions of service.
Recent engagements between government and the unions have so far failed to produce a resolution.
For students at Ve SHS, the impasse has translated into a growing gap in their education.
“We come to school and there is nothing to do,” a Form Three Science student Emmanuel Tekpor told GNA, describing the experience as frustrating.
“We don’t have any work to do. No teachers have been coming to class and we have little time to cover the syllabus before WASSCE starts,” he said.
Another final-year student said the situation was especially worrying because they had only months left to prepare academically.
He said some learners had resorted to peer teaching and extra classes as the only available avenue for structured learning, but that option was not accessible to everyone.
Students whose families cannot afford additional lessons risk falling further behind, raising concerns about the unequal impact of the strike on learners from different economic backgrounds.
A female final-year Arts student Isabella Hlordzi appealed to government to urgently address the concerns of teachers to allow academic activities to resume.
She said continuous assessment schedules, practical work, and syllabus coverage had all been affected.
The Headmaster of the school declined to comment but sources said management was concerned about the effect on the academic calendar.
Parents in Ve Golokuati have also expressed concern, with some calling on government to intensify negotiations with the teacher unions because children at home are finding it difficult to learn and has even been exposed to uncertainty activities.
Education think tank Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) has warned that every additional day of disruption reduces instructional time and compromises children’s right to education.
Government, through Deputy Minister of Education Dr Clement Apaak, has said it will continue to engage the unions and pleaded with teachers to return to the classroom while negotiations continue.
Meanwhile the Minister for Labour, Job and Employment Mr Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum optimistic the three striking teacher unions will suspend or call off their strike by close of day
GNA
Edited by: Maxwell Awumah /Kenneth Odeng Adade