Concerns are mounting over Ghana’s teacher recruitment process, with some applicants arguing that the current system disadvantages trained teachers already awaiting employment.

A member of the 2024 cohort of trained teachers, who spoke anonymously on The Big Bulletin hosted by Fritz Delanyo Amegashie, criticised the decision to open the recruitment portal to all applicants despite an existing backlog.

According to the applicant, there are tens of thousands of trained teachers from Colleges of Education awaiting placement, yet only about 7,000 positions have been made available.

He argued that allowing university graduates to compete in the same pool further reduces the chances of those already in the queue.

“If the clearance can only absorb a limited number, then priority should be given to specific batches rather than opening it to everyone,” he said.

The concerns come after the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, disclosed that more than 40,000 applicants applied for just 7,000 available teaching positions.

While government maintains that the process is transparent and offers equal opportunity, critics say the approach ignores the structured pipeline from Colleges of Education into the Ghana Education Service.

The applicant proposed a quota-based system that allocates slots to different categories of graduates to ensure fairness.

Beyond recruitment concerns, he also pointed to the country’s persistent teacher deficit, particularly in rural areas, where shortages remain acute despite ongoing recruitment efforts.

Estimates suggest Ghana may require tens of thousands of additional teachers to meet demand, raising questions about whether current recruitment levels are adequate to address the gap.