The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced that government will recruit an additional 10,000 teachers to help address staffing gaps in basic and secondary schools, with provision to be made for the recruitment in the 2027 budget.
Speaking on TV3’s Sunrise show on Friday, 11 September 2026, Mr Iddrisu also addressed the state of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the country.
“TVET remains the surest way to reduce unemployment and underemployment. But you go to a TVET school and it is 90 per cent theory and 10 per cent practical. That is unacceptable,” he said.
On infrastructure, the minister said the 2027 GETFund formula includes a policy directive to dedicate US$250–300 million to expand facilities in 10 Category “A” schools.
“We intend to build 10 new model Category ‘A’ schools,” he said, adding that government would also convert 20 Category “B” schools to Category “A” status.
Mr Iddrisu said government had declared over 850,000 vacancies nationwide and maintained that every qualified student was eligible for admission into a secondary school, describing the placement difficulty as “a matter of choice” rather than a lack of space.
On the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), the minister said the government inherited the system and had made improvements, while acknowledging continuing challenges in placing students into their preferred schools.
He was responding to former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, who has reportedly suggested the current administration seek his advice on resolving placement difficulties. Mr Iddrisu accused his predecessor of overseeing “a system that neglected basic education.”
“I have heard comments from Minister Adutwum, who seem to have better solutions outside government than when he was at the seat as Minister for Education,” he said. “If he did it better, then why are we here? We would not have been struggling for placement.”
Citing the 2026 placement exercise, Mr Iddrisu said about 328,000 students selected Category “A” schools, against only 76,000 available vacancies.
“Show me any minister, including Dr Adutwum, who can fix that problem by placing 313,000 in 76,000 vacancies. You have a miracle to do that,” he said.
“So, when he says come to me for advice, what advice?” he asked.
