A former Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, Kwasi Kwarteng, has criticized the government’s decision to revoke the appointments of newly recruited teachers, calling it an unjust and politically motivated move.
According to Kwarteng, the Ghana Education Service (GES) obtained financial clearance to recruit graduates from Colleges of Education on August 1, 2024. Additional clearance was granted in September for university graduates with teaching licenses.
In a statement, he emphasized that recruitment into GES is a structured process involving certification verification, background checks, and compliance with policy, which takes time.
“Recruitment is not an overnight event. Appointment letters are released over an extended period, often beyond an election cycle,” Kwarteng stated.
He explained that newly appointed staff typically wait between three to six months to obtain staff IDs for payroll migration, with some waiting even longer due to administrative constraints.
He condemned the decision to revoke appointments of teachers who had yet to be placed on the payroll, arguing that the delays were not their fault.
“It is cruel and unjust to revoke these appointments simply because these recruits had not yet been placed on the government payroll. These challenges have existed under every government,” he asserted.
He also criticized the assumption that the affected recruits were politically affiliated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“Are we saying that the right to work in Ghana is now reserved only for those who belong to a particular political party? How can we claim to be building a nation when we are actively destroying the dreams and livelihood of our youth?” he questioned.
The former Spokesperson stressed the broader impact of the decision, drawing comparisons to how Ghanaian youth find jobs abroad without political discrimination.
“The irony is painful. When these same young Ghanaians travel abroad, they secure decent jobs without anyone questioning their political leanings. But in their own country, they are treated like political pawns,” he lamented.
