The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced a major nationwide recruitment drive for teachers alongside sweeping reforms aimed at expanding access to tertiary education and improving transparency in school placement systems.
This was made known at a press conference addressed by the Minister, where he outlined government’s renewed commitment to strengthening the education sector.
He revealed that government has secured approval from the Ministry of Finance to recruit at least 7,000 teachers to address critical staffing gaps, particularly in deprived and underserved communities. The recruitment process, he stressed, will be open, competitive, and transparent, with priority given to applicants willing to accept postings in rural areas.
Graduates from the 2023, 2024, and 2025 cohorts of Colleges of Education and related institutions are eligible to apply. The Ghana Education Service (GES) is expected to open its application portal on April 10, 2026, with the recruitment process scheduled to be completed by July 1, 2026.
The Minister noted that the initiative aligns with the broader agenda of President John Dramani Mahama to tackle youth unemployment while strengthening the country’s education system through improved infrastructure, teaching resources, and human capital development.
In addition to basic education, government has approved the recruitment of 1,200 faculty members across public tertiary institutions, including University of Ghana, University of Cape Coast, and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. This move is intended to address staff deficits and enhance academic delivery.
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission will soon issue guidelines on the distribution of these positions, while discussions are ongoing with the Finance Ministry to introduce an “automatic replacement” policy for exiting lecturers.
On tertiary expansion, the Minister disclosed plans to operationalize the National Defence University, which will integrate key military training institutions such as the Ghana Military Academy and the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre. A legal framework for the university is expected to be submitted to Cabinet and Parliament soon.
Further, the University of Mines and Technology will establish a new campus in Kenyasi in the Ahafo Region, focusing on mining and applied sciences. Similarly, the University of Health and Allied Sciences is expected to set up a satellite campus dedicated to pharmacology and biomedical sciences.
Government also confirmed that the University for Engineering and Agricultural Sciences will commence operations in September 2026 with an initial intake of 800 students. Officials say infrastructure development is being prioritized to ensure institutions are functional before formal declarations.
Meanwhile, the Minister announced a comprehensive overhaul of the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) to improve fairness, transparency, and predictability. Key reforms include restoring the catchment area policy, introducing a one-week window for students to confirm school choices after BECE results, and tightening enforcement against unqualified candidates sitting for the exams.
He further revealed that a technical committee will supervise the placement system, while measures are being introduced to curb the abuse of protocol admissions, which recorded as many as 60,000 requests last year.
The Minister emphasized that these reforms are part of a broader strategy to strengthen governance within the education sector, decentralize operations of the GES, and ensure equitable access to quality education across the country.
