Education policy think tank Eduwatch has questioned the government’s decision to establish a new College of Education in the Jomoro Municipal, warning that the move may not reflect current realities within Ghana’s teacher training sector.
In a statement, the group argued that the decision appears misaligned with existing capacity and lacks sufficient empirical backing, particularly at a time when available resources must be carefully prioritised.
Eduwatch pointed to underutilised infrastructure within the sector, citing the Enchi College of Education in the neighbouring Aowin Municipality, which it said is operating below capacity following admission caps introduced by the Ministry of Education in 2022.
The group further noted that the Western Region already hosts four Colleges of Education, in addition to teacher training programmes offered through distance learning centres run by the University of Cape Coast.
At the national level, Eduwatch indicated that public teacher education institutions—including the University of Education Winneba, University of Ghana and University for Development Studies—are already producing more than twice the number of teachers required annually.
It warned that this imbalance has contributed to rising graduate unemployment, with more than 60,000 licensed teachers reportedly without jobs since 2023.
According to Eduwatch, expanding teacher training capacity under such conditions risks worsening the situation rather than addressing labour market needs.
The group also drew attention to several stalled academic and residential projects within Colleges of Education, some dating back to 2012, and urged government to prioritise completing existing infrastructure and strengthening teaching and learning resources.
With Ghana facing an estimated GH¢16 billion annual education financing gap, Eduwatch maintained that establishing a new college does not represent prudent use of limited public funds.
It has therefore called on the Ministry of Education to reassess the proposal and instead focus on optimising the capacity of existing institutions, including reviewing admission quotas where demand justifies expansion.
