The Ghana Education Service (GES) has defended its current teacher recruitment exercise, stating that the process is being carried out using verified vacancy data gathered from schools, districts, and regional offices nationwide.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story, Daniel Fenyi, Head of the Public Relations Unit of GES, explained that the recruitment covers different levels of education, including early grade, primary, junior high, and senior high schools.
He stated that before the recruitment process began, schools, district offices, and regional authorities were directed to submit information on vacant teaching positions. According to him, the recruitment is based on data received from each level of the education system.
GES indicated that this approach is intended to help identify staffing shortages accurately and ensure that vacant positions are filled where teachers are most needed.
The explanation came in response to concerns raised by education policy stakeholders over reports of teacher surpluses in some parts of the country.
Mr. Fenyi acknowledged that teacher rationalisation remains a major issue within the education sector. He noted that while some schools may have more teachers than needed, others continue to face shortages.
He further explained that teacher distribution is influenced by the specific needs of each district, including differences in school enrolment and staffing demands at various educational levels.
According to him, some schools require more than one teacher or even an assistant teacher at the early grade level because of pupil population.
He also noted that challenges with deployment can occur when teachers are assigned to deprived communities, although he clarified that the issue is not simply about teachers refusing postings.
GES maintains that both recruitment and teacher redistribution are continuing as part of efforts to achieve fair staffing across schools throughout the country.