7,000 Teacher Recruitment Not Enough – TTAG

The Teacher Trainees’ Association of Ghana has raised concerns over government’s plan to recruit 7,000 teachers, warning that thousands of qualified trainees could be left without jobs.

The recruitment, announced by government, is aimed at improving access to quality education, especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas. However, TTAG says the number falls far short of the available pool of trained teachers.

Speaking on Starr News, TTAG President Divine Nanija said the figure does not reflect the number of graduates ready for deployment.

“The 7,000 that the Honourable Minister mentioned… is not even half of a single year’s batch. For the 2023 batch alone, there are about 17,000 qualified teacher trainees,” he said.

According to him, the decision means a large number of trained teachers will remain unemployed, despite existing gaps in schools across the country.

“If the Minister is recruiting 7,000, that means 7,000 out of 17,000… which clearly indicates that a very large number will be left behind. The 7,000 is simply not enough,” he added.

Mr Nanija also raised concerns about the lack of clarity on future recruitment plans, noting that many trainees do not know if or when they will be employed.

“This shortfall will cost us a lot, especially since there is currently no information on what will happen to those who are not part of this 7,000—whether there will be a next round of recruitment or when it might take place,” he explained.

The association is therefore calling on government to increase the number of teachers to be recruited and provide clear timelines for future employment opportunities.

“As an association, we strongly oppose this number. We also hope to hear more clarity from the Minister on whether this figure is fixed—perhaps due to financial constraints—and when the majority of those left out will have the opportunity to be recruited,” he said.

TTAG insists that while addressing teacher shortages is important, a more balanced and transparent approach is needed to ensure fairness for all qualified trainees.