Teacher graduates stage protest over delayed postings
Hundreds of teacher graduates from the 2022/2023 batch took to the streets of Accra to demand immediate employment, expressing frustration over the government’s delay in posting them to classrooms. Many of the protesters carried certificates and documents to prove they had successfully completed their professional examinations and one year of national service. One graduate lamented, “I am a second-class upper holder, but look at me. I’m just in the house, a laughing stock to my people.”
Several others echoed similar sentiments, stressing that their skills were being wasted while classrooms across the country remained understaffed. “We want to go and teach, the classrooms are empty. There are no teachers in the classroom,” one demonstrator said. Another added, “We can’t be trained and be in the house and be eating from our mother’s pocket. We are tired.” Their collective frustration highlighted the growing tension between trained teachers and the authorities responsible for their placement.
The protest intensified when the group marched to the Ministry of Education to present a petition. A misunderstanding arose after the Deputy Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Education Service (GES) attempted to receive the petition on behalf of the Minister. The demonstrators rejected the gesture, insisting that the petition be received directly by the Minister of Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu. This standoff briefly disrupted proceedings and underscored the urgency of their demands.
The Coalition of Unemployed Trained Teachers is now calling on the government to act swiftly by permanently posting the graduates to schools across the country. They argue that the delay not only undermines their livelihoods but also affects the quality of education, as many classrooms remain without qualified teachers. Their petition seeks immediate intervention to resolve what they describe as a pressing national issue.
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