The Ghana Education Service (GES) has officially closed its 2026 teacher recruitment portal after receiving more than 40,000 applications for just 7,000 available positions, highlighting the growing pressure on Ghana’s job market.
The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, confirmed the development, noting that the overwhelming number of applicants reflects both the demand for employment and the country’s ongoing teacher needs.
According to him, although Ghana requires significantly more teachers, financial constraints have limited recruitment.
“If resources were available, we should be recruiting up to 50,000 teachers across the country, but due to budgetary constraints, we are unable to do that,” he stated.
Mr. Iddrisu explained that the Ministry of Finance granted clearance for only 7,000 recruitments, despite the high demand.
“The Ministry of Education received clearance from the Ministry of Finance to recruit 7,000 teachers,” he said.
He added that the recruitment process was conducted openly and transparently, but had to be closed after applications surged.
“As the portal opened and the number reached 40,000, it was closed. The best 7,000 will be selected after careful assessment,” he assured.
The Minister further emphasised that only the most qualified candidates will be selected from the large applicant pool.
The development underscores the widening gap between graduate output and available public sector jobs, particularly in the education sector, where thousands of trained teachers remain unemployed.
Despite the limited slots, the government insists the recruitment will prioritise quality and fairness, as Ghana continues efforts to address teacher shortages, especially in deprived communities.
