Education policy think tank Eduwatch has expressed concerns over the government’s plan to establish a new College of Education in the Jomoro Municipal, calling the initiative misaligned with existing capacity and national priorities.
In a statement released on April 1, 2026, the group argued that the proposed college lacks clear empirical justification, especially given significant underutilisation of existing teacher training facilities.
Eduwatch cited Enchi College of Education in the neighbouring Aowin Municipality, noting that it currently operates below capacity due to admission caps imposed by the Ministry of Education in 2022. The think tank also pointed out that the Western Region already hosts four Colleges of Education, alongside distance learning programmes run by the University of Cape Coast, all contributing to teacher production.
On a national level, Eduwatch highlighted what it described as excess capacity in public teacher training institutions. The group noted that universities such as University of Education Winneba, University of Ghana, and University for Development Studies are collectively producing more than twice the number of teachers needed annually. This, the statement said, has contributed to growing unemployment, with over 60,000 licensed teachers reportedly unemployed since 2023.
“Establishing additional public Colleges of Education to produce more teacher graduates is not labour market responsive and risks worsening graduate unemployment,” Eduwatch stated.
The group also drew attention to stalled and uncompleted projects within existing Colleges of Education, some dating back to 2012, arguing that these should be prioritised. Eduwatch stressed the need to focus on completing facilities, improving teaching and learning resources, and optimising existing infrastructure before expanding the system further.
With Ghana facing an estimated GH¢16 billion annual education financing gap, the think tank called on the Ministry of Education to reconsider the plan, recommending instead that efforts be directed toward optimising the capacity of existing institutions, including reviewing admission quotas to better match actual demand.