Many in the policy and advocacy space operate on the assumption that Ghana’s leaders genuinely want to solve the country’s problems. Yet, when it comes to teacher education and deployment, the current system remains largely supply-driven, entitlement-based, and inefficient – producing graduates who often struggle to meet classroom realities while leaving critical gaps in underserved areas.
Dr Peter Anti Partey has outlined a comprehensive 12-point model aimed at professionalising the entire process, from training to recruitment and career progression.
Under the proposed framework, prospective teachers would be admitted only into accredited Colleges of Education, including those affiliated with or embedded within universities. By law and policy, all trainees must graduate with a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree. This would elevate their status to full tertiary students, with instructors redesignated as lecturers and placed on equal footing with university colleagues.
Financial support for trainees should shift to the national Student Loan Trust Fund, replacing the current unsustainable system of direct allowances and feeding grants. This move, long advocated by experts, would promote equity and align teacher training with broader higher education financing policies.
Upon graduation, every B.Ed. holder – regardless of institution – must pass a professional licensure examination administered by the National Teaching Council (NTC). Successful candidates would receive a provisional licence and undergo a mandatory one-year probationary period involving structured mentorship, supervision, and classroom-based professional development.
After probation, teachers would participate in a formal induction process before gaining full professional licensure. Only then could they apply for teaching positions using their academic and professional credentials. Recruitment must be strictly merit-based, transparent, and demand-driven.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) should adopt a decentralised framework, advertising vacancies two or three times annually based on actual staffing needs. Automatic posting or mandatory recruitment would be eliminated to boost efficiency and accountability.
Recruitment decisions should rely on robust demand forecasting models that consider enrolment trends, subject specialisation gaps (particularly in core areas like Mathematics, Science and ICT), and regional disparities.
Career advancement would no longer depend on tenure alone. Instead, it would link to continuous professional development (CPD), proven classroom effectiveness, and periodic re-licensing through portfolio evidence.
To tackle persistent shortages in deprived communities, the model recommends targeted incentives such as rural posting allowances, housing support, and accelerated promotion pathways.
“This model transitions teacher recruitment in Ghana from a supply-driven, entitlement-based system to a professionalised, demand-driven, and performance-oriented system,” Dr Anti Partey stated. “It strengthens accountability, improves teacher quality, and aligns teacher education with broader public sector reforms and labour market principles.”
He acknowledged the proposal may not win immediate support from teacher trainee groups but insisted it would place Ghana’s education system on a genuine path toward efficiency and effectiveness.
Civil society groups have long called for decentralised recruitment and better deployment to rural areas.
Dr Anti Partey’s model offers a structured alternative that could address chronic challenges in Ghana’s education sector, including quality gaps, uneven distribution of teachers, and the need for stronger professional standards.
As the country continues to invest heavily in education, implementing such reforms could prove crucial to delivering meaningful learning outcomes for the next generation.
