General News of 2026-09-23
UK blocks Ghanaian teachers from applying directly for teaching qualification in England
The UK government has removed Ghana, Nigeria and India from the list of countries whose teachers can apply directly for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England.
The change, which took effect on September 9, 2026, means teachers trained in the three countries can no longer use the UK’s Apply for QTS in England service.
QTS is a professional teaching qualification that allows teachers to work in many schools in England.
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It, however, indicated that overseas-trained teachers who meet the requirements can apply.
According to the UK Department for Education (DfE), the eligibility rules were updated to ensure that countries on the list can verify the professional standing and work history of their teachers.
The UK government said a country must have a national regulator that can confirm a teacher’s professional standing and be able to provide references that meet its requirements.
India was removed because it does not have a national regulator that can confirm teachers’ professional standing.
For Ghana and Nigeria, the UK said concerns were raised over the type of references submitted by applicants.
“Our data shows that more than 70% of applications from teachers in Ghana and Nigeria include work history references that use public email addresses, such as Gmail or Hotmail, rather than a school’s official email domain,” the UK government said.
It explained that the use of such email addresses means assessors spend more time and resources verifying information in applications.
The UK government said it must be sure that the information provided by applicants is genuine before awarding QTS.
“We must be confident that the information applicants provide is genuine,” it said.
It added that the measure is intended to ensure that overseas teachers awarded QTS have the skills and experience needed to teach in schools in England.
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However, the removal from the list does not mean teachers from Ghana, Nigeria and India cannot teach in England.
Teachers who are no longer eligible for the direct QTS application service may be able to use alternative routes to obtain the qualification, depending on their circumstances.
MAG/VPO
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