The protesters holding placards at the Independence Square
Hundreds of teacher trainees yesterday gathered at Independence Square in Accra to protest what they describe as a worsening backlog in recruitment, as thousands of trained graduates remain unemployed years after completing their studies.
The demonstration, organised by the Teacher Trainees’ Association of Ghana (TTAG), is part of a renewed push for the restoration of the automatic posting policy, which previously guaranteed employment for newly trained teachers.
Protesters marched from Independence Square to the Ministry of Finance, where they presented their demands.
The action follows strong criticism by the association of the government’s recent recruitment of 7,000 teachers, an exercise TTAG insists falls far short of addressing the scale of unemployment among trained educators.
Speaking to journalists yesterday, TTAG Secretary, Jonathan Kwadzo Agorkpo, expressed frustration over what he described as delays and a lack of tangible progress.
“They say the system is working, but we are not seeing results that prove it is working. The government must honour its promises and support us with postings,” he said.
TTAG maintained that more than 45,000 trained teachers from previous cohorts remain at home without placements, despite being ready to serve.
At the same time, over 65,000 students are currently enrolled in Colleges of Education, which raises concerns about the sustainability of the training system if employment pathways are not expanded.
The association warned that the growing gap between training and recruitment risks undermining confidence in the education sector.
It argued that if government is unable to absorb the backlog, a broader review of teacher training admissions and funding may be necessary.
Leaders of TTAG said the nationwide protest, which drew participants from all 49 Colleges of Education, is aimed at compelling the Ministry of Finance to grant financial clearance for mass recruitment and to reinstate automatic postings to ensure a seamless transition from training to employment.
A Daily Guide Report