Teacher Applying To Join GES Since 2018 Shares His Story: “They Always Ask for a Bribe”
- James Kwasi Akorli, a Ghanaian graduate teacher, recounted his struggle to join the Ghana Education Service (GES)
- In a Facebook post, the young man said that any time he applied for a teaching job at GES, people asked him for bribes, which he was unable to pay
- Ghanaians on social media, including Eric Edem Agbana, MP for Ketu North, condemned the demand for bribes before employing someone
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James Kwasi Akorli, a Ghanaian graduate teacher, shared his predicament as a person applying to be employed by the Ghana Education Service (GES) since 2018.
The trained teacher's comment comes after the GES opened teacher recruitment for licensed B.Ed. graduates. The GES announced that the application will be opened from April 10 to April 17, 2026.
Source: UGC
In a Facebook post, James Kwasi Akorli shared that he has been applying to join the GES as a graduate teacher since 2018; however, he has not been successful.
He indicated that there were times people asked him to pay a huge amount of money as a bribe so they could facilitate his employment, but he could not afford the required sum.
"I have applied for all graduate teacher recruitment processes since 2018. In all of it, I have not been successful. Along the line in all of it, I had to be asked to pay huge sums of money in order to receive appointment letters. But because I didn't have the money to pay those huge sums of money demanded, I never got to be employed all this while. A lot of my friends who I have applied with had people who helped them to pay the money, and they are gainfully employed in the GES now and are living ok."
James Kwasi Akorli indicated that he has applied again after the GES opened the 2026 employment window. He expressed hope that he would get in this time because of his faith.
"This year too, I have applied. I have grown in faith now because I have gone through terrible experiences after national service in all the way in 2013. This year, I have faith I will be successful. Amen."
James Kwasi Akorli said he has been working as a teacher in a private school, where the salary is meagre.
"I have taught in private schools since 2013, and where I am, there's nothing in it. You work hard to help the school, peanut for you."
Source: Twitter
MP reacts to GES recruitment bribery allegation
Meanwhile, Eric Edem Agbana, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ketu North, responded to James Kwasi Akorli's post and shared his thoughts on it.
In a response to the post, the MP discouraged all applicants from paying any bribes. He called on all applicants who are asked to pay any bribe during the application process to reach out to him.
"The System must not continue failing our young people. Things like this break my heart. Why should young people desirous of serving their country be taken through these painful experiences? I’ll urge every applicant who has been asked to pay money by anyone to report to me. Together with Godwin K. Mileba of CREP Africa, we are interested in rooting out those who take advantage of the limited opportunities available to exploit others."
"Dear applicants, do? not pay money to anyone," he added.
Read the Facebook post below:
GES closes teacher recruitment portal
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported that Ghana’s recruitment portal for teachers closed after an overwhelming 40,000 applications for just 7,000 positions.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu disclosed that budget constraints hindered plans to hire 50,000 teachers across the nation.
A digital education policy is on the horizon to bridge pedagogy gaps and enhance learning opportunities.
Source: YEN.com.gh
