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🇬🇭 Ghana /Economy & Trade

Ghana: 40,000 apply for 7,000 teaching jobs in 24 hours

From Ghanaian Times · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Ghana's Education Minister revealed over 40,000 applications were received for 7,000 teaching vacancies within 24 hours.
  • The ministry has financial clearance to recruit only 7,000 teachers this year, despite a national deficit of 50,000 to 90,000 teachers.
  • The government plans a phased recruitment of 16,000 teachers over two years, with concerns raised about the transparency of the current recruitment portal.

Ghana's Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, disclosed that the ministry received an overwhelming response to its recent recruitment drive, with over 40,000 applications submitted for just 7,000 teaching vacancies within a single 24-hour period. He described this situation as a significant challenge for the government.

I have applications within 24 hours of over 40,000. What can you do? I don’t have the magic wand.

— Haruna IddrisuDescribing the overwhelming number of applications for limited teaching positions.

Iddrisu explained that while the Ministry of Education has financial clearance to hire 7,000 teachers this year, the nation faces a deficit of between 50,000 and 90,000 teachers. He lamented the inability to accommodate all qualified applicants due to budget constraints, stating, "I have applications within 24 hours of over 40,000. What can you do? I don’t have the magic wand."

The government intends to address the teacher shortage through a phased recruitment strategy. President John Dramani Mahama announced plans to hire an additional 16,000 teachers in two cohorts of 8,000 each, starting around April 2027. This gradual approach aims to progressively reduce the teacher deficit.

The President announced that we can stagger recruitment of 16,000 teachers in two phases of 8,000 and 8,000.

— Haruna IddrisuExplaining the government's phased approach to teacher recruitment.

However, concerns have surfaced regarding the transparency and accessibility of the Ghana Education Service recruitment portal. One applicant alleged that the portal experienced technical issues, including issues with certificate uploads, and was open for only 24 hours, potentially disadvantaging many qualified candidates. Questions have been raised about the fairness of the rejection process, with some applicants reportedly not receiving clear explanations for their disqualification.

I made a case for 50,000 teachers, and I got only 7,000. So that is the challenge.

— Haruna IddrisuHighlighting the gap between the need for teachers and approved recruitment numbers.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ghanaian Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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