Editorial: Ghana Must End The Contradiction In Teacher Recruitment

The National Teaching Council (NTC) has uncovered a troubling reality within Ghana’s education sector. More than 100,000 non-professional teachers are currently teaching in basic and private schools without the required professional qualifications and licences.

In addition, a recent compliance exercise identified over 12,000 graduate teachers in second-cycle institutions who also lack professional teaching certificates. The NTC has, therefore, intensified efforts to regularise the situation through the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programme, which allows non-professional teachers to obtain the qualifications needed for licensing.

Under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), no individual is permitted to practise as a teacher without being registered as a professional teacher. The programme has been heavily subsidised and supported through initiatives such as GALOP to encourage enrolment. Yet despite the scale of the challenge, only a fraction of affected teachers have enrolled.

The revelation has reignited concerns about the quality of education in many schools in the country, particularly in rural and underserved communities where teacher shortages remain acute. Teaching today requires far more than subject knowledge; it demands expertise in pedagogy, classroom management, assessment, child psychology and professional ethics.

The presence of large numbers of unqualified teachers raises serious questions about learning outcomes and educational standards. At the same time, the situation exposes a deeper policy contradiction that demands urgent attention from government and educational authorities.

How can Ghana have more than 100,000 unqualified teachers in classrooms while tens of thousands of professionally trained and licensed teachers remain unemployed?

Recent reports from teacher unions and education advocacy groups suggest that over 60,000 licensed teachers have remained unemployed since 2023, while teacher associations estimate that more than 100,000 trained teachers are seeking opportunities in the education sector. Government recruitment exercises have also revealed the scale of the backlog.

In April this year, more than 40,000 applications were received for just 7,000 available teaching positions. Budgetary constraints have limited recruitment despite acknowledged staffing shortages in many schools.

The widespread presence of non-professional teachers did not emerge overnight. Many private schools, especially in low-income and rural communities, employ non-professionals because they are cheaper and more readily available. In some deprived areas, schools have struggled to attract qualified teachers due to infrastructure challenges, accommodation difficulties and limited incentives. While these realities help explain the situation, they cannot justify allowing educational standards to decline.

Government must, therefore, adopt a comprehensive response. First, teacher recruitment should be expanded significantly to absorb qualified and licensed graduates. Second, incentives should be strengthened to encourage professionally trained teachers to accept postings in rural communities. Third, enforcement of licensing requirements must be gradual but firm, ensuring schools transition toward a fully professional workforce. Finally, stronger monitoring of schools is necessary to ensure compliance with national standards.

Education remains the foundation of national development. If Ghana is serious about improving learning outcomes, reducing inequality and preparing its young people for the future, then the country cannot continue to tolerate a system where qualified teachers remain at home while unqualified individuals occupy classrooms.

The time has come to align recruitment, training and deployment policies with the goal of building a truly professional teaching workforce. Our children deserve nothing less.

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