Thousands of trained teachers across the country continue to await official communication regarding the 2026 recruitment exercise being conducted by the Ghana Education Service (GES), following the closure of the online application portal earlier this year.
The recruitment portal, which became active on April 10, 2026, recorded massive patronage from applicants nationwide, reflecting the increasing competition for employment opportunities within the education sector.
Available reports suggest that close to 40,000 applications were submitted within the first 20 hours after the portal was opened to the public.
Due to the overwhelming number of applications received, the portal was reportedly closed on April 11, 2026, after the required application threshold had been attained.
Although interest in the exercise remains extremely high, only 7,000 trained teachers are expected to secure appointments under the current recruitment arrangement.
Information emerging from sources familiar with the process indicates that special consideration may be extended to persons with disabilities as well as applicants prepared to accept postings to rural and underserved communities.
The move forms part of broader efforts to improve teacher distribution across the country while promoting inclusiveness within the education system.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu is also reported to have instructed the Ghana Education Service to reserve portions of future recruitment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Meanwhile, teacher unions and several education stakeholders have expressed concern over the limited number of recruitment slots, arguing that the figure falls short considering the growing population of trained but unemployed teachers nationwide.
Among the groups that have raised concerns are the Ghana National Association of Teachers and the Teacher Trainees’ Association of Ghana, both of which have appealed to government to expand the recruitment intake.
According to the unions, thousands of graduates from colleges of education and universities have remained without employment for several years despite completing their professional training.
The Ghana National Association of Teachers has particularly called on the Ghana Education Service to prioritise applicants who completed their training years ago and are still awaiting employment.
Reports further indicate that Haruna Iddrisu has acknowledged the concerns surrounding the limited intake and hinted that discussions may be held at Cabinet level regarding the possibility of increasing the recruitment numbers.
However, no official announcement has yet been made on whether the current quota of 7,000 teachers will be reviewed upward.
More than three weeks have passed since applications were submitted through the Ghana Education Service portal, yet applicants are still waiting for official updates on the next stage of the exercise.
Although rumours continue to circulate that recruitment results could be released before the end of this month, the Ghana Education Service has not issued any formal confirmation on the matter.
What appears certain, however, is that recruitment outcomes are expected to be released before July 2026, meaning shortlisted applicants could receive notifications either later this month or sometime next month.
The ongoing exercise has once again reignited discussions about the increasing unemployment situation among trained teachers across the country.
Several education analysts believe that employing only 7,000 teachers out of an estimated 90,000 qualified unemployed teachers raises major concerns about the future of teacher employment and the sustainability of the previous automatic posting arrangement.
Analysts further argue that failure to increase the current recruitment figures could compel government to organise another recruitment exercise later in the year in an attempt to reduce the growing backlog of unemployed trained teachers nationwide.