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Challenges in Teacher Upgrading within the Ghana Education Service: Hon Jerry Akporhor writes

Challenges in Teacher Upgrading within Ghana

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has undergone significant changes in its entry requirements and teacher upgrading processes, impacting educators across the country. With the minimum qualification now set at a First Degree, many teachers are compelled to pursue further studies to meet this standard. However, the journey to upgrading qualifications is fraught with challenges, from securing study leave to gaining official recognition for new credentials. This post explores the evolving entry points, the struggles teachers face in meeting new requirements, and the systemic issues affecting their career progression.

There were two main entry points into the Ghana Education Service (GES). You could either enter with a Diploma in Basic Education and be appointed as a Senior Superintendent II, or with a First Degree and be appointed as a Principal Superintendent.

Before these became the standard entry routes, people could join the service with WASSCE (as Pupil Teachers) or Teacher’s Certificate ‘A’ (as Superintendent II). However, the current minimum requirement for entry is a First Degree.

To meet this new minimum requirement, teachers who entered the service with WASSCE, Certificate ‘A’, or Diploma now have to pursue further studies.

To do so, they are expected to apply for study leave, either with pay or without pay. To qualify for study leave with pay, a teacher must have served a minimum of two years in a deprived area or four years in a town or city.

Over time, however, securing study leave (especially for regular, full-time programs) has become very difficult due to the high number of applicants. As a result, many teachers have opted for alternative modes of study, including sandwich and Open and Distance Learning (ODL).

Some teachers, however, do not have the patience to wait for the required number of years or fear that their study leave applications will not be approved. So, they go ahead and enroll in programs without official permission or approval.

When these teachers complete their studies, GES often refuses to recognize their new qualifications for upgrading, because they lack the required approval letter from the Director-General.

Some officers try to use what is commonly called the “maturity period”. According to this practice, teachers must wait for seven years after acquiring their diploma before they can submit a new certificate for upgrading. This is seen as an assured route.

There is also a group of teachers who were the last batch of diploma graduates. The minimum qualification was changed to a degree before they completed their diploma programs. GES still employed them based on the diploma but directed them to upgrade to a degree as soon as possible.

In response, GES, teacher unions, and the University of Cape Coast (UCC) collaborated to design a 3-Semester Top-Up Program to help them meet the new requirement. GES granted these teachers official approval, along with a cover letter, to pursue the program starting that same year.

Unfortunately, after completing the top-up program, GES has refused to upgrade them based on the new qualification. Despite their efforts to seek redress, no one is willing to listen to their concerns.

According to feedback from a recent meeting between the teacher unions and the Director-General, all these affected teachers are supposed to be upgraded and issued with the appropriate letters.

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However, a new challenge has emerged: some affected teachers have already had their ranks upgraded through informal means (commonly referred to as the “backdoor”). What they lack is the official upgrading letter.

It is unclear if this issue was addressed during the meeting. The big question now is: Should their upgrading be reversed so they can reapply officially, or should they simply be issued the upgrading letters retroactively?

The challenges faced by teachers in the Ghana Education Service highlight the need for a more streamlined and transparent upgrading process. While initiatives like the 3-Semester Top-Up Program show promise, the lack of follow-through and recognition from GES has left many educators in limbo. The unresolved question of how to handle informal upgrades further complicates the situation, leaving teachers uncertain about their career paths. Moving forward, GES and teacher unions must work together to address these systemic issues, ensuring that all teachers are supported in meeting the new standards and receiving the recognition they deserve for their efforts.