The Ghana Education Service (GES) has officially declared Friday, January 23, 2026, as a National Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Day for teachers across the country. The directive, issued from the GES Headquarters in Accra and dated January 14, 2026, applies to all public basic and second-cycle institutions nationwide.
According to the statement addressed to all Regional Directors of Education, the decision underscores GES’s commitment to strengthening teacher competence through structured and uninterrupted professional learning. The CPD Day is specifically intended to allow teachers to participate fully in Phase Two of the Cybersecurity and Data Protection training programme.
GES explained that dedicating a full day to this exercise will provide teachers with the institutional support and protected time needed to build capacity without classroom distractions. As a result, January 23, 2026, has been declared a holiday for learners, while teachers are expected to engage in the scheduled professional development activities.
The Service has directed Regional, Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Directors of Education, as well as heads of basic schools and second-cycle institutions, to ensure strict compliance with the directive. School authorities are expected to communicate the information promptly to teachers, parents, and learners to avoid confusion.
The letter was signed by Dr. Munawaru Issahaque, Ag. Deputy Director-General (Quality and Access), on behalf of the Ag. Director-General of GES. Copies were also sent to key stakeholders, including the GES Council and various directors at the headquarters.
This move reflects a growing emphasis on teacher professionalism, particularly in emerging areas such as cybersecurity and data protection, which are increasingly relevant in Ghana’s education system. While learners will be at home for the day, GES maintains that the long-term benefit of a well-trained teaching workforce outweighs the short-term disruption to classroom instruction.
