Haruna Iddrisu Warns of 90,000 Teacher Deficit in Ghana’s Education Sector

• Haruna Iddrisu has announced a deficit of between 50,000 and 90,000 teachers in the educational sector
• The sector minister made public this development while addressing Parliament on Thursday, June 18, 2026
• The government received budgetary clearance to recruit 7K new educators despite the high demand

The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has shared that Ghana’s education sector is grappling with a significant shortage of teachers.

The country currently requires between 50,000 and 90,000 additional teachers to adequately meet the demands of schools nationwide.

Addressing Parliament during a session focused on teacher recruitment and staffing, the minister explained that financial limitations and strict budgetary restrictions have made it difficult for the government to secure the necessary numbers to bridge the existing gap.

Recent institutional reforms have further decentralised deployment, spreading the available human resources thinner across new and existing agencies.

Budgetary clearances versus educational needs

The establishment and expansion of bodies like the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) alongside the Ghana Education Service (GES) have created parallel demands for qualified personnel.

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The minister highlighted the friction between the actual manpower requirements on the ground and the fiscal limits imposed by national budget allocations.

"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. "

"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," the minister stated.

The disparity has fueled public debate among education stakeholders and unemployed trained teachers, many of whom have expressed frustration over limited state recruitment drives.

The YouTube post below has the full video of the Education Minister's revelation about the teacher deficit.

Salaries of 250 Ghanaian lecturers downgraded

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) urged more than 250 lecturers affected by recent salary downgrades to remain patient as it continues engaging authorities to resolve their concerns.

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The affected lecturers are reported to be unhappy about reductions in pay and the loss of benefits following changes introduced under new tertiary education reforms.

The union has, however, assured them that discussions are ongoing to secure a fair resolution.

Source: YEN.com.gh