The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has raised concerns over the ongoing recruitment of teachers and nurses, warning that prolonged silence and limited information are fuelling anxiety among thousands of qualified young graduates and risking a broader crisis of trust in public institutions.
NUGS Secretary for Education, Bismark Offei Bekoe, in a statement noted that although the process was transparent, the Ghana Education Service (GES) needs to be fast with recruitment of the 7000 teachers.
More than 40,000 applications were reportedly received for those positions.
Bekoe highlighted that the Education Minister has acknowledged Ghana’s need for approximately 50,000 additional teachers, yet only 7,000 were initially recruited.
Teacher associations have questioned both the adequacy of the number and the fairness of the selection process.
The government has since announced plans to recruit an additional 16,000 teachers in two phases beginning from November 2026.
While welcoming the expansion, Bekoe stressed that the immediate issue remains the lack of clarity for qualified applicants still waiting for updates.
Similar concerns apply to the recruitment of nurses and midwives, professions Ghana urgently needs in its health facilities.
Bekoe emphasised that recruitment exercises must not only deliver numbers but also inspire public confidence that every applicant is assessed according to clear and objective criteria.
“My greatest worry is the growing perception that some people may be gaining access to opportunities while others who are equally qualified remain in uncertainty,” he stated.
He clarified that he was not accusing any individual or institution but insisted that a genuinely transparent process should welcome scrutiny.
Bekoe called on authorities to publish clear information on limited vacancies, selection criteria (including regional, subject, or professional requirements), timelines for phased recruitment, and, where practicable, explanations for unsuccessful applicants.
“What Ghana’s qualified graduates should not receive is silence. It is better to tell young people honestly that available positions are limited than to keep them in suspense while rumours of favouritism and political connections grow,” he said.
He warned that the issue extends beyond individual jobs.
A trained teacher or nurse should not feel that professional qualifications are meaningless, and young graduates should not conclude that personal connections outweigh meeting stated requirements.
NUGS is therefore demanding clear recruitment criteria, timely communication with applicants, publication of credible information, and investigation of any genuine allegations of irregularities.
“We are worried because the frustration is growing… if this frustration is allowed to deepen, Ghana may lose something more important than public confidence in one recruitment exercise – we may begin to lose young people’s confidence in the fairness of our institutions,” Bekoe concluded.
He urged the government to act before uncertainty turns to anger and anger into a wider crisis of trust, stressing that Ghana’s young people are asking not for favours but for fairness, transparency, add the truth.
