There seems to be a pending GES Recruitment 2025 confusion as the government plans to cancel the teacher licensure exam. This confusion needs to be exposed, and the GES and the Ministry of Education need to take proactive steps ahead of the intended recruitment drive.

With the Ghana Education Service (GES) expected to recruit 50,000 teaching and 10,000 non-teaching staff before the end of 2025, many prospective applicants—especially those yet to write or re-sit the Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination (GTLE)—find themselves in a state of confusion and uncertainty.

The situation has been further complicated by the directive from the Ministry of Education (MoE) to the National Teaching Council (NTC) to cancel the licensure examination effective 30th August 2025. While many educators have welcomed the cancellation, it raises major concerns regarding eligibility criteria for the upcoming GES recruitment.

Who Qualifies for GES Recruitment 2025?

At the time of writing, GES and the MoE have not officially released detailed guidelines on how the recruitment will be conducted or which categories of teachers will be eligible to apply. However, based on current developments, there are three major categories of prospective applicants:

Teachers who have completed national service and passed the licensure exam.
Teachers who have completed national service but need to re-sit the licensure exam, which will no longer be conducted after 30th August 2025.
Teachers who have completed national service but have not yet written the licensure exam at all.

The cancellation of the GTLE means the recruitment portal may have to open applications to all teachers who have completed national service, regardless of whether they have passed or even written the licensure exam. This will significantly increase the number of potential applicants vying for the limited available positions.

READ: GES to teacher recruitment starts soon: Check date and requirements (Fresh Update)

Degree and Diploma Holders: Will They Be Included?

A critical question remains: Will the 2025 recruitment cover both degree and diploma holders?

Historically, the GES has prioritised teachers from Colleges of Education, leaving behind a large backlog of degree holders from public and private universities who studied education. These persons continue to seek employment in the public education sector and look forward to being recruited and posted by the GES. With this massive recruitment exercise approaching, all eyes are on GES to clarify whether both streams will be equally considered.

If the portal is opened to both categories, competition for the 50,000 teaching vacancies will intensify, especially given the thousands of trained university graduates still waiting for their GES posting miracle. The least said that graduate teachers trained in the universities whose 2024 applications have been put on pending consideration, among others, the better.

Calls for Reform: Integrate the Licensure into Teacher Training

Many stakeholders in education believe that the teacher licensure examination should be integrated into the teacher training curriculum at the Colleges of Education and universities. This would allow teacher trainees to graduate having already earned their professional certification—removing the post-graduation burden currently imposed by the standalone licensure exam.

Such an integration would streamline the process and ensure that all newly qualified teachers meet professional standards without undergoing additional post-graduation assessments.

GES Issues Warning on Recruitment Scams

In a related development, the Ghana Education Service has issued a strong warning to all prospective applicants regarding recruitment scams. “In the meantime, please stay vigilant and do not fall victim to scammers,” the GES cautioned in a recent update.

It further assured the public that when recruitment begins, it will be conducted transparently and openly, and all official announcements will be made through the appropriate GES communication channels.

Final Thoughts: GES Must Clarify Recruitment Guidelines

With the planned recruitment of 50,000 teachers and 10,000 non-teaching staff, the GES and the Ministry of Education must move swiftly to clarify the recruitment modalities. This includes:

Who qualifies to apply?
Whether passing the GTLE is still a requirement.
Whether degree holders from universities will be eligible.
Timelines for the recruitment process.

Failing to provide this clarity could result in massive confusion, an influx of ineligible applications, and further delays in addressing the teacher shortage across Ghana.

As the 30th August deadline for the cancellation of the licensure exam approaches, time is of the essence. We all wait to see how the GES Recruitment 2025 confusion will be dealt with.