CREP Africa Condemns GES Recruitment Irregularities and Policy Incoherence

The Centre for Research and Education Policy (CREP Africa) expresses grave concern and deep disappointment at the manner in which the recent teacher recruitment exercise has been handled by the Ghana Education Service. What should have reflected transparency, fairness, and strategic foresight has instead exposed serious weaknesses in planning, coordination, and respect for equal opportunity.

The recruitment portal was opened on the 10th of April. Within a short period, only a limited number of applicants managed to access the system and successfully submit their applications. As it stands now, the portal no longer accepts new applications and displays that submissions have reached full capacity. This development has effectively shut out a vast number of qualified teachers who, through no fault of theirs, could not complete the process. Such an outcome raises a fundamental question: how can a national recruitment exercise be reduced to a narrow and restrictive window that excludes the majority it is meant to serve?

Available information shows that the Ministry of Education (Ghana) secured clearance for only 7,000 recruits, yet the portal was reportedly capped around 12,000 applications. This approach, rather than promoting fairness, has institutionalized exclusion. It has transformed public sector recruitment into a race defined by speed, access, and chance, instead of merit and equal opportunity.

This concern is further reinforced by a public communication issued by the Ministry, signed by the Haruna Iddrisu, Minister for Education and Member of Parliament for Tamale South. In that statement, dated 1st April 2026, it was clearly indicated:

“We do not want over subscription, as it is anticipated, and therefore, my request would be, when the portal gets to about 12,000, close the portal, so the next generation can take advantage of the next opportunity that will follow, subject to approval from the Ministry of finance.”

This position, while perhaps intended to manage numbers, fundamentally undermines the principles of fairness and inclusivity. A public recruitment exercise cannot be deliberately structured to exclude applicants on the basis of an artificial cap, especially when thousands of trained teachers remain unemployed and classrooms across the country continue to suffer shortages.

The situation becomes even more troubling when placed alongside earlier policy assurances. The government, under the leadership of John Dramani Mahama, communicated a commitment toward the automatic posting of College of Education graduates. In addition, there was a clear pledge to decentralize the recruitment and posting of teachers to the regional and district levels in order to enhance efficiency and equity. What is currently being witnessed does not align with these commitments. Instead of a predictable and decentralized system, the process has remained centralized, limited, and inaccessible to many.

The contradiction is glaring. Promises of automatic absorption and decentralization have given way to a constrained and highly competitive process that excludes a significant number of qualified candidates. At the same time, multiple batches of trained teachers, including diploma holders and university graduates, continue to remain unposted, further deepening the backlog.

By allowing the process to unfold in this manner, the Ghana Education Service has compromised the integrity of public recruitment. Access to employment in the education sector should not depend on timing, internet strength, or privileged access to information. It must be deliberate, inclusive, and reflective of national needs.

CREP Africa holds the Ministry of Education (Ghana) responsible for this policy inconsistency and calls for immediate clarity on the framework guiding teacher recruitment. The role of the Haruna Iddrisu as sector Minister also demands scrutiny, as leadership must align policy pronouncements with actual implementation.

CREP Africa maintains that this recruitment exercise, in its current form, falls short of acceptable standards. It reflects avoidable administrative lapses, weak planning, and insufficient consideration of the realities faced by trained teachers across the country.

A prompt review of the process is necessary. The portal must be reopened under a fair and structured system that allows all qualified applicants a reasonable opportunity to apply. Recruitment levels must also be expanded to reflect the actual demand for teachers, while a clear and credible roadmap is developed to address the growing backlog.

Education remains central to national development. It cannot be managed through restrictive systems and inconsistent policies. The Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education (Ghana) must act decisively to restore fairness, transparency, and confidence in the recruitment of teachers. CREP Africa will continue to demand accountability until justice is served for every qualified teacher affected by this process.