ACCRA, October 13, 2026 — Ghana’s Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has asked the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission to prepare public universities for a possible weekend reopening following talks on October 12. The government wants academic work to resume on October 19, but students still need confirmed instructions from their universities as administrators consider whether to suspend their strike.
The immediate question for families is when students should actually travel. A ministerial expectation does not itself provide a reporting date for every campus, programme or year group.
When will Ghana’s universities reopen? The government wants universities ready for a weekend return and academic work on October 19, 2026. GAUA is consulting its members, while UG and KNUST have postponed their earlier reopening dates. Students should use a revised notice from their own university before arranging their return.
Government sets out its preferred timetable
According to MyJoyOnline’s account of the minister’s remarks, the discussions involved the Ghana Association of University Administrators, the Technical University Senior Administrators Association of Ghana and GTEC.
Iddrisu asked GTEC to have public universities announce reopening dates towards the weekend. His stated aim was to protect the academic calendar and allow teaching to resume the following Monday.
“It is my expectation that the universities can reopen towards the weekend,” he said.
The wording is significant for students: it describes the timetable the minister wants to achieve. It does not establish that all arrangements for returning students have been completed. The outcome still depends on the labour discussions and subsequent institutional announcements.
GAUA must consult its members
GAUA’s position after the meeting was that its leadership would take the outcome to members before deciding whether to suspend the industrial action. MyJoyOnline reported that a decision was expected after Tuesday, October 13, without a specific consultation date being announced.
EDUCATION
Ghana University Reopening: What Students Should Know About GAUA Talks
Oct 13, 2026
Oct 13, 2026
5 min read
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Updated:
ACCRA, October 13, 2026 — Ghana’s Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has asked the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission to prepare public universities for a possible weekend reopening following talks on October 12. The government wants academic work to resume on October 19, but students still need confirmed instructions from their universities as administrators consider whether to suspend their strike.
The immediate question for families is when students should actually travel. A ministerial expectation does not itself provide a reporting date for every campus, programme or year group.
When will Ghana’s universities reopen? The government wants universities ready for a weekend return and academic work on October 19, 2026. GAUA is consulting its members, while UG and KNUST have postponed their earlier reopening dates. Students should use a revised notice from their own university before arranging their return.
Government sets out its preferred timetable
According to MyJoyOnline’s account of the minister’s remarks, the discussions involved the Ghana Association of University Administrators, the Technical University Senior Administrators Association of Ghana and GTEC.
Iddrisu asked GTEC to have public universities announce reopening dates towards the weekend. His stated aim was to protect the academic calendar and allow teaching to resume the following Monday.
“It is my expectation that the universities can reopen towards the weekend,” he said.
The wording is significant for students: it describes the timetable the minister wants to achieve. It does not establish that all arrangements for returning students have been completed. The outcome still depends on the labour discussions and subsequent institutional announcements.
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GAUA must consult its members
GAUA’s position after the meeting was that its leadership would take the outcome to members before deciding whether to suspend the industrial action. MyJoyOnline reported that a decision was expected after Tuesday, October 13, without a specific consultation date being announced.
That leaves an important step between the meeting and a return to work. Students should not read the holding of talks as confirmation that the strike has ended.
The same report describes the dispute as concerning differences in the Interim Market Premium paid to teaching and non-teaching senior members. Its account of the union’s position concerns remuneration; it does not record a completed settlement accepted by members.
The Ghana News Agency’s report on the talks also described the Education Ministry’s appeal for constructive engagement through established negotiation mechanisms. That appeal explains the purpose of the meeting, rather than proving an agreement was reached.
What KNUST has formally announced
KNUST’s official October 9 notice postponed reopening for the 2026/2027 academic year. The university had originally planned to reopen on October 13.
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The University Relations Office explicitly linked the decision to the GAUA strike and its effect on operations and administration. It said management would communicate a revised reopening date later.
For KNUST students, the practical next step is to look for that replacement announcement. An old academic calendar or previously issued travel plan should be checked against the postponement before it is used to organise a return to Kumasi.
The indefinite postponement does not supply an alternative date. It also does not mean the academic year has been cancelled.
UG registration remains a separate task
The University of Ghana’s October 10 notice postponed its planned October 12 reopening, with a revised date to follow. Graphic Online reproduced the university’s notice, which also instructed students to complete online academic registration using its earlier procedure.
UG said registration would secure places for classes and eligibility for the forthcoming random bed allocation exercise. Eligibility to participate should not be mistaken for a confirmed room allocation.
The notice did not state a reason for postponement. That distinction should be preserved even though the broader disruption to university administration has been widely reported.
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Students can therefore have registration work to complete while still awaiting permission or instructions to report physically. Anyone experiencing a problem should retain the relevant confirmation or error message when seeking help through university channels.
Check the notice for your own institution
The situation is not identical across Ghana’s universities. In Daily Graphic’s October 12 reporting, University of Health and Allied Sciences Vice-Chancellor Professor Lydia Aziato said her institution had not postponed reopening. That was the position described in that report; students should still check for subsequent institutional instructions.
Before making a journey, confirm the notice’s issue date, the students it covers, the reporting date and any separate accommodation arrangements. Families considering tickets should check change conditions while final instructions are outstanding.
The next useful announcements are GAUA’s membership decision and revised university notices explaining when students should report and when academic work will begin.
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