Ghana needs at least 50,000 more teachers - Minister tells Parliament
The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has disclosed that the country requires at least 50,000 additional teachers to adequately address staffing gaps in schools nationwide.
He said that although the government had begun the process of recruiting 7,000 teachers nationwide, the figure represented only a fraction of the number needed to improve teaching and learning outcomes.
“So we are currently recruiting 7,000 teachers across the country. And for the tertiary education level, close to 3,000 lecturers are needed to fill the gap. But if you conduct a national assessment of our needs, we need at least 50,000 teachers nationwide. But that is subject to budget and the budget being able to absorb that,” he said.
Mr Iddrisu made the disclosure on the floor of Parliament yesterday while responding to questions from legislators.
The disclosure came in his response to a query from the Member of Parliament (MP) for Prestea-Huni Valley, Robert Wisdom Cudjoe, on the growing number of community teachers in schools within the constituency.
Deployment
Mr Iddrisu announced that the newly recruited teachers were expected to begin work from July 1 this year.
He said teacher deployment by the Ghana Education Service (GES) was guided by principles of equity, need-based allocation, efficiency and professional relevance.
The minister explained that priority was often given to schools with critical shortages, particularly in rural and deprived communities.
He added that key subject areas such as Mathematics, ICT, STEM, French and Special Education continued to experience staffing deficits in many schools.
Mr Iddrisu revealed that a team from the GES had earlier conducted a situational assessment in the Prestea-Huni Valley area after concerns were raised in Parliament in 2023 over the increasing number of community teachers paid by parents.
“The findings confirmed 176 community teachers operating in the area.
So we have to act and act well on this matter,” he stressed.
The minister further indicated that the government was engaging the Ministry of Finance to explore increasing recruitment numbers during the mid-year budget review.
Local languages
He also highlighted concerns over shortages of Ghanaian language teachers in some regions, particularly in Greater Accra and parts of the Savannah Region.
Mr Iddrisu said improving local language instruction at the foundational level was important to enhancing literacy and numeracy outcomes among schoolchildren.
“It is our firm belief that when children learn with a local language as the first language of instruction, in addition to English, learning outcomes improve,” he said.
The minister also highlighted the need for inclusive recruitment practices in the education sector.
He recounted how a visually impaired teacher used a placard during the recent May Day celebrations to appeal for equal opportunities during recruitment exercises.
“Blind teachers are also teachers,” he quoted from the placard, adding that the reminder underscored the need for fairness in employment opportunities within the sector.
Other issues
The minister also touched on broader challenges confronting the education sector, particularly infrastructure deficits in schools across the country.
He disclosed that the government would complete 27 abandoned e-block projects and invest in expanding classrooms, dormitories and laboratories under a $300 million World Bank-funded STARR-J initiative.
Mr Iddrisu further announced plans to upgrade selected Category C and B senior high schools, while prioritising deprived districts without SHSs.
He also reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening technical and vocational education by establishing a dedicated TVET Fund and proposing the Ghana Institute of Technology to improve practical skills training and tackle youth unemployment.
