Ghana to Hire 550 Arabic Teachers as Islamic Schools Face Severe Staffing Crisis

Ghana's government has unveiled a plan to recruit 550 Arabic teachers over the coming months, as the country grapples with a serious shortage of qualified instructors in its Islamic basic schools. The announcement was made by Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu during a meeting in Accra with a delegation from the Conference of Regional Chief Imams.

According to the plan, an initial batch of 50 teachers is expected to be employed by the end of July, with a further 500 permanent Arabic teachers to be recruited through the Ghana Education Service in January 2027. Minister Iddrisu assured the delegation of the government's commitment to strengthening Islamic education and pledged to work closely with both the Conference of Regional Chief Imams and the Islamic Education Unit.

The scale of the staffing crisis was laid bare by Abdul Karim Bapuni, General Manager of the Islamic Education Unit, who disclosed that Ghana currently operates 1,299 Islamic basic schools but requires approximately 3,033 Arabic teachers to serve pupils adequately. Only 706 Arabic teachers are presently on the government payroll, leaving a nationwide shortfall of around 2,512 teachers.

The meeting was convened at the request of the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, who raised concerns about the shortage and its damaging impact on the quality of Islamic education across the country. The delegation was led by Sheikh Abdul Rashid Iddi, Chairman of the Conference of Regional Chief Imams, and included Regional Imams, representatives of the Islamic Education Unit, and officials from the Office of the National Chief Imam.

Beyond the staffing deficit, Mr Bapuni highlighted several other pressing challenges facing Islamic schools, including:

• No standardised Arabic curriculum or textbooks at the primary level
• Inadequate resources for monitoring and supervising schools
• Poor office infrastructure affecting administration and learning outcomes

Minister Iddrisu commended the Conference for its sustained engagement with government on matters affecting Ghana's Muslim community and reaffirmed the administration's readiness to improve access to quality Islamic education nationwide.