Haruna Iddrisu, the Minister of Education Audio By Carbonatix The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has pledged a government-led review of the recently announced teacher recruitment quotas, signalling a potential increase in the 7,000 slots currently available for the 2026 academic year. The minister’s intervention follows a wave of discontent from the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and sister unions, who have labelled the initial allocation as a "drop in the ocean". Critics argue that the figure fails to absorb the backlog of over 10,000 trained graduates currently languishing on waitlists after completing their studies at various Colleges of Education and tertiary institutions. Speaking on the sidelines of the May Day celebrations in Kumasi on Friday, 1st May 2026, Mr. Iddrisu conceded that the education sector’s recruitment numbers were disproportionately low when compared to other wings of the civil service. He pointed to the 15,000 recruitment slots granted to the health sector as a benchmark, arguing that the sheer scale of Ghana's educational infrastructure necessitates a much larger workforce. “The 7,000 is not enough, particularly where health workers had 15,000 and others. There are more schools than hospitals, so government will work and up the numbers,” the minister stated emphatically. The minister's "more schools than hospitals" logic highlights a pressing logistical reality in Ghana's public service planning. With thousands of basic and second-cycle institutions spread across the 16 regions, the demand for qualified educators has outpaced the current budgetary ceiling. Education advocates have long noted that while the Free Primary Healthcare and Mahama Care initiatives are expanding health infrastructure, the education sector remains the nation’s largest employer and requires a corresponding investment in human capital to maintain quality standards. Mr. Iddrisu assured the teacher unions that the government is not deaf to their grievances. He indicated that high-level consultations are already underway to adjust the figures to better reflect "national needs" and the actual number of graduates ready for posting. The ministry’s commitment to up the numbers is expected to bring relief to thousands of graduates who have been advocating for their inclusion in the national payroll. By aligning recruitment with the physical number of schools across the country, the government aims to reduce the current teacher-to-pupil ratio and ensure that no classroom is left without a professional instructor. DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited. Tags: Education Teacher DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited. Related to this story Teacher trainees set for nationwide protest today over recruitment backlog Super-FORG USA launches drive to transform education in Ghana GES releases WASSCE practical funds to all Senior High Schools PRETAG raises alarm over delayed teacher arrears and staffing gaps in schools CHASS threatens to shut down schools as feeding negotiations end in deadlock ‘I was tortured and lost my hand’ – one student’s struggle to get an education in Nigeria Bridging the teacher distribution gap in Ghana: Policy choices, political will, and the future of basic education Every child deserves to learn Education is being undermined – NAGRAT backs unpaid teachers as street protests loom Africa Education Watch raises alarm over uneven teacher distribution in Ghana Latest Stories Haruna Iddrisu vows to hike teacher recruitment numbers1 second First batch of 2026 Ghanaian pilgrims depart Tamale for Mecca1 minute Joseph Opoku’s late strike caps impressive run for Zulte Waregem23 minutes Police dismantle robbery gang in Upper East; 4 in custody, 2 dead during operation35 minutes Prime Insight to tackle power woes and BoG loss debate this Saturday1 hour Prince Amoako Jnr scores in Nordsjaelland draw against Brøndby1 hour US to cut troop levels in Germany by 5,000 amid Trump spat with Merz2 hours Sale of gold bought between 2023 and 2024 saved Bank of Ghana from a GH¢33 billion loss2 hours Kurt Okraku – A man of two versions2 hours Hoshii International secures gold sponsorship for Accra 2026 African Senior Athletics Championships2 hours Ghana’s growth outlook dims slightly amid US-Iran conflict – Fitch Solutions2 hours BoG lost GH¢9.05bn from gold purchase programme in 20252 hours Andre Ayew was my childhood hero – Kofi Kyereh3 hours Trump tells Congress ceasefire means he does not need their approval for Iran war3 hours Trump says he will hike tariffs on EU cars to 25%4 hours