The Ghana Education Service (GES) has clarified that batch-by-batch posting of teachers from Colleges of Education has not been cancelled, assuring affected graduates that the 2023 batch will be prioritised when the recruitment portal reopens in November.
Speaking on the matter, Daniel Fenyi, Head of Public Relations at GES, explained that recent confusion around the recruitment process stemmed from a misunderstanding of how the term “batch” applies specifically to graduates from Colleges of Education, distinct from professional teachers trained at universities.
Mr Fenyi stressed that the batch-by-batch recruitment and posting system for College of Education graduates has not been discontinued, and that government remains committed to working within this framework.
He noted that the Minister for Education has stated on several platforms that when the recruitment portal opens in November, priority will be given to batches that were due for posting but have not yet been placed.
According to Mr Fenyi, GES inherited a backlog reaching back to the 2023 batch, and this is the group that will be worked with in the upcoming posting exercise.
Addressing matters about a separate recruitment exercise that opened 7,000 slots, Mr Fenyi explained that this process was distinct from the batch-specific posting system and instead targeted a broader pool of trained teachers already available, including graduates from institutions such as the University of Cape Coast.
Financial Constraints Shaped the Numbers
The University of Ghana, and the University for Development Studies, alongside College of Education graduates. He explained that government recognized a significant number of trained teachers who were unemployed and in need of placement, prompting the decision to open the recruitment portal to absorb some of them into the system.
“We came to meet a lot of teachers who were literally in the house and needed intervention.”
Daniel Fenyi
Mr Fenyi disclosed that the scale of this recruitment exercise was ultimately determined by the country’s financial situation. He said the Ministry of Education had initially anticipated recruiting around 50,000 teachers, but financial clearance could only accommodate 7,000 positions.
He explained that this recruitment was opened broadly to all eligible trained teachers, rather than being restricted to a specific batch, which he said likely contributed to the impression among some College of Education graduates that the batch system itself had been scrapped.
“It has not been cancelled at all. It was the overwhelming numbers we came to meet.”
Daniel Fenyi
Gradual Absorption Strategy
Mr Fenyi explained that the approach taken reflects a deliberate strategy to gradually bring qualified teachers into the government system, noting that many schools genuinely require additional staff.
He framed the 7,000-slot recruitment as an interim measure to address immediate needs, rather than a replacement for the established batch posting process.
Looking ahead, Mr Fenyi confirmed that another recruitment exercise is scheduled for November, which he said the Minister has indicated will follow the reading of the national budget, since provisions for the exercise are being made within that budget.
He said this upcoming recruitment will specifically target Colleges of Education batches that GES immediately inherited as a backlog, namely the 2023 and 2024 batches, who will be taken care of in the next round of placements.
Addressing Graduate Concerns
Mr Fenyi’s clarification appears aimed directly at easing concerns among College of Education graduates who may have interpreted the earlier 7,000-slot recruitment as a sign that the traditional batch system had been abandoned in favour of open, unrestricted recruitment.
By distinguishing between the two processes, he sought to reassure affected graduates that their placement remains on the government’s agenda, pending the budget-linked November exercise.
As the November recruitment approaches, attention will turn to how quickly GES can process placements for the 2023 and 2024 batches once the national budget provisions are confirmed, and whether the scale of that recruitment will be sufficient to clear the existing backlog of unposted College of Education graduates.
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