Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has disclosed that Ghana faces a significant teacher deficit, with the country requiring between 50,000 and 90,000 additional educators to meet the staffing needs of schools nationwide.
Addressing Parliament on Thursday, June 18, the Minister explained that while the demand for teachers remains substantial, limited budgetary allocations have constrained the government’s ability to recruit the numbers needed to close the gap.
According to him, ongoing reforms in the education sector have expanded staffing requirements, particularly with the growth of institutions responsible for technical, vocational and general education.
Mr. Iddrisu noted that teacher recruitment now serves both the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), increasing pressure on available resources.
“The country has evolved, and we have taken reforms that will benefit education in the foreseeable future. We now have the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and the GES, and so when we are recruiting, we allocate teachers for TVET and GES, but there is a difference between need and what I have budgetary approval for,” he told Parliament.
The Minister revealed that although the sector requires between 50,000 and 90,000 teachers, government approval was granted for the recruitment of only 7,000 educators.
“My need for teachers is between 50,000 and 90,000, but I had clearance for 7,000, and that is what I am making do with,” he stated.
The disclosure highlights the growing challenge of adequately staffing schools across the country as educational reforms continue to expand access and increase demand for qualified teachers.
