[ 2016-05-17 ]

VIAMAlarm! GES teacher recruitment process potentially fraudulent
A policy Think tank on Education VIAM Africa has
raised red flags about the teacher recruitment
process of the Ghana Education Service.

The Think tank in its maiden edition of the
VIAMAlarm, a publication to throw light on vex
issues affecting education in Ghana, said the GES
has been ridiculous and potentially fraudulent in
its online teacher application procedures.

The Education Service announced it was ready to
recruit teachers to teach English, Mathematics,
Science and Geography at the Senior High School
level.

As part of the application process, applicants
were requested to submit a passport picture and
scanned certificate.

They were also to pay 62.00 cedis each as
examination fee at the point of writing the
exams.

This, VIAM Africa believes was inappropriate. If
private institutions do not take money from job
applicants at the point of writing aptitude tests,
VIAM Africa believes aspiring teachers should not
be made to pay for writing the teacher recruitment
exams.

With over 4,590 applicants shortlisted from
various parts of the country for the exams, it
means the GES would have raised an amount of
284,580 cedis.

VIAM Africa is wondering what the GES will use
this money for and more importantly what will be
done to the applicants who have paid but who may
well not be recruited by GES either for failing
the exams or for any other reason.

The Think tank is calling on the GES to immediate
halt the process of collecting money before
writing the exam.

The full VIAMAlarm publication is as follows;



Few months ago, the Ghana Education Service (GES)
posted on their website (www.gespostings.net) an
advertisement meant to recruit teachers to teach
English, Mathematics, Science and Geography at the
Senior High School level. As part of the
application process, applicants were requested to
submit a passport picture and scanned certificate.
They were also asked about their teaching
experience when filling the online application
form. All these were supposed to be submitted
before 21st March, 2016. Given the recent
recruitment scams that have been recorded in the
country, using technology-oriented recruitment
approach appears laudable and novel. This also
affords every qualified teacher an equal chance of
applying and being potentially selected for any
vacant position in the GES.

However, the exercise has turned out to be a
nightmare for graduate teachers who applied. VIAM
Africa’s investigations revealed that, the Ghana
Education Service has released a list of
applicants who have been shortlisted to undertake
a test in English Language and their respective
subject areas on the 21st May, 2016 at various
centres communicated to the applicants.

A notice on their recruitment website
(www.gespostings.net/jobapplications/shortlisted)
reveals a rather worrying demand from the GES. It
reads:
NB: Prospective applicants should note the
following,
• Candidates should write the test at the
venue allocated to them
• Candidates should pay 62 Ghana cedis as
examination fee. Purchase banker’s draft at any
bank in the name of Director General, GES.
• Candidates must write their index
number at the back of the banker’s draft before
entering the examination hall.
• Candidates must present banker’s
draft on the day of the examination.
• Candidates must report to the
examination centre by 7.30am

A total of 4,590 applicants have been shortlisted
from various parts of the country and each of
these applicants is supposed to pay GHS 62 to take
part in a test conducted by GES. This is not only
unfortunate but very ridiculous to say the least.
The questions that beg for answers are:
1. Does GES doubt the qualifications of
these applicants who have been shortlisted? If
yes, what does this mean to the country’s
teacher education programmes run by the
universities? If no, what then is the use of the
test?
2. Do corporate institutions take money from
prospective applicants before they organize
aptitude test for them in their quest to reduce
the number of applicants? If no, why is the GES
taking money from these prospective applicants
before they take part in a test?
3. What is the guarantee that all those who
take part in the test would be appointed by the
GES? If there is no guarantee, then why take money
from them?
4. What is the correlation between a
prospective applicant’s performance in such a
test and his/her ability to teach? The extant
literature on teacher effectiveness shows that
there is no established relationship between a
prospective applicant’s performance in a test
and their ability to teach.
5. What is the use of the 62 Ghana cedis?
Examination fee?

An interaction with some of the applicants
indicated that, they are very surprised at the
turn of events. To some of these young unemployed
graduate teachers, they thought this was an avenue
to give each one of them an equal and unbiased
chance to get employed by the GES. However, the
prevailing arrangement indicates that, the GES
appears to be taking advantage of the unemployed
teachers’ desperation to finding a job. It may
be an avenue to exploit desperate and innocent
unemployed graduate teachers. VIAM Africa equally
holds the view that, this action of the GES
questions the credibility of certificates awarded
by universities such as University of Cape Coast
and University of Education (Winneba). Beyond
that, there is no guarantee that those who pass
the so-called test would be effective teachers
consistent with a plethora of empirical evidence.
Teacher knowledge has often been found to have
limited predictive power over their classroom
decisions and behaviour( interested readers may
refer to the seminal works of Frank Pajares,
Albert Bandura, Isaac Ajzen and Matin Fishbein,
Paul Ernest).

We are therefore earnestly urging the Ministry of
Education to halt this process as soon as
possible. In these hard times that we all find
ourselves in, no unemployed graduate should be
made to pay any amount in their quest to get
employed by a public institution. This seems not
only insensitive but also very callous on the part
of the GES.

Source - Myjoyonline.com

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