Nassau, The Bahamas – July 12, 2026 – The Ministry of Education, Science & Technology welcomes the generous offer of cooperation of the Government of Ghana to assist with the recruitment of up to three hundred (300) teachers.
As highlighted during the recent budget debate, the Ministry currently faces a shortfall of approximately three hundred (300) teachers. This is compounded by retirements, contract expirations, and the expansion of specialized areas such as special education, technology, financial literacy, digital literacy, and entrepreneurship studies.
To address this urgent need, we established a multi-agency Task Force comprising the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Service, the Department of Labor, the Royal Bahamas Police Force, and the National Accreditation and Equivalency Council of the Bahamas (NAECOB).
The Task Force is actively implementing strategies to attract Bahamian educators, including recently retired teachers, recent graduates, and those who previously left the profession and now desire to return. In keeping with government policy, Bahamians will be given first priority to fill all vacancies.
Recognizing that teacher shortage is a global challenge, we have engaged several nations, including Ghana, Kenya, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, and others, to explore opportunities for collaboration.
We held direct discussions with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ghana on the margins of the country’s recent independence celebrations to advance this important initiative.
All recruitment efforts will be subject to standard Ministry procedures, rigorous vetting of qualifications and character, cultural sensitivity training, comprehensive orientation, and a six-month immersion program.
We remain committed to continuously strengthening the nation’s education system so that our students get the attention they rightly deserve.
For decades, we have benefitted from strategic international recruitment of educators from partner nations. We emphasize that such recruitment is intended only to address vacancies that cannot be immediately filled by qualified Bahamians. The well-being of our children and the progress of our nation remain our highest priority.
STATEMENT FROM
The Hon. I. Chester Cooper, M.P.
Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Education, Science and Technology
