NTC Warns Over 100,000 Teachers Risk Removal from Classrooms

• The NTC has warned that more than 100,000 non-professional teachers risk being removed from classrooms if they fail to obtain the required licences
• A compliance exercise showed that 12,279 graduate teachers in second-cycle schools are currently teaching without professional certification
• The Council said the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programme is a key pathway for upgrading teachers

The National Teaching Council (NTC) has warned that more than 100,000 teachers without the required professional qualifications and licences could be removed from Ghana’s classrooms if they fail to regularise their status.

The Council says the presence of unqualified teachers, especially in basic and private schools, continues to undermine education quality, with rural areas most affected.

Speaking at a matriculation ceremony for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programme at the Catholic University of Ghana on Monday, May 25, 2026, the Director of Teacher Licensing at the National Teaching Council, Francis Addae, said a compliance exercise in second-cycle schools found 12,279 graduate teachers without professional certification.

In a report by Graphiconline, he warned that affected teachers risk being removed in future, stating: “The time will come when you may not be allowed to teach.”

He said the PGDE programme is designed to help non-professional teachers acquire the needed training and licensing, but only 1,421 out of over 12,000 identified teachers are currently enrolled.

Addae urged teachers to take advantage of the subsidised programme, which now costs GH¢5,000, down from GH¢8,000–GH¢9,000, with additional support for female teachers under the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP).

Vice-Chancellor Professor Matthew Glover Addo said teaching now requires professional skills beyond subject knowledge and urged trainees to embrace rural postings, discipline and professionalism, describing teaching as “a noble vocation that shapes the future of nations.”

GTEC flags 70 unrecognised tertiary institutions

YEN.com.gh reported that GTEC had flagged 70 unrecognised tertiary institutions and warned the public against accepting their certificates.

The Commission said qualifications from these schools are not valid for jobs, licensing, or further studies in Ghana.

Prospective students and employers were urged to verify institutions to avoid falling victim to so-called degree mills.

Source: YEN.com.gh