The Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, has revealed that Ghana faces a substantial shortage of teachers, with the country requiring between 50,000 and 90,000 additional educators to adequately serve schools nationwide.

Addressing Parliament on Thursday, June 18, the Minister explained that although the demand for teachers remains high, financial constraints and limited budgetary allocations have restricted the government’s ability to recruit the numbers needed to address the shortfall.

Haruna Iddrisu said ongoing reforms within the education sector have increased staffing requirements, particularly with the expansion of institutions responsible for delivering technical, vocational and general education.

He noted that teacher recruitment must now cater for both the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), placing additional 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,” the Minister stated.

“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.”