The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced that the Cabinet has approved the recruitment of 6,100 additional teachers to help close staffing gaps in the education sector.
Addressing journalists in Accra on Wednesday, November 19, the Minister reaffirmed that education remains Ghana’s largest employer and stressed the government’s commitment to strengthening the workforce.
Responding to reports of ongoing demonstrations by some 2023 teacher trainees demanding postings and salary validation, Mr Iddrisu said the group has been fully accounted for under the newly approved recruitment batch.
“I understand that some striking teachers are looking for us on the streets of Accra. Let me respond to them that the Cabinet has approved the recruitment of 6,100 more teachers, and therefore that category of teachers, which belongs to the 2023 cohort, is adequately captured,” he said.
He expressed surprise that members of the same cohort were protesting instead of cooperating with the ministry to complete essential administrative procedures.
“I’ll be surprised if it is the same group that is on the street,” he stated. “They should rather be looking for us and going back to the offices for the purpose of audit and identification, to be reinstated and to be paid.”
Mr Iddrisu urged the striking teachers to return to the appropriate offices for verification and processing, assuring them that the approval reflects the government’s determination to address their concerns and ensure smooth integration into the education service.