The country’s major teacher unions have mounted a strong defence of teachers following comments attributed to Interior Minister Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka over the use of forged WASSCE certificates in the recruitment of security service personnel.
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Pre-Tertiary Education Teachers’ Association of Ghana (PRETAG) have accused the Minister of unfairly shifting blame for certificate fraud onto the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the teaching profession.
The unions said they were particularly concerned about remarks Muntaka reportedly made on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at a ceremony to commission classroom facilities at the Asokore Mampong Roman Catholic School in the Ashanti Region.
According to the unions, the Minister suggested that forged or doctored WASSCE results presented by some security service recruits should have been detected within the GES and the teaching profession.
They have rejected that suggestion, insisting that entry into the Education Service is subject to several qualification and verification requirements designed to ensure that only properly qualified individuals are recruited.
In a statement dated September 10, the unions explained that prospective teachers are required to possess the appropriate academic qualifications, complete their national service and obtain a valid National Teaching Council (NTC) licence.
They added that certificates and other documents presented during recruitment are also verified with the institutions that issued them.
The unions therefore described the alleged comments as an unfair indictment of teachers and senior officials within the education sector, including Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, the Director-General of the GES and the Vice President.
“It is therefore unfortunate that Hon. Muntaka is accusing and attributing forged and doctored WASSCE Certificates to the GES, Teachers and by extension indicting the Sector Minister, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, the Director General, GES and also the current Vice President of Ghana,” the unions said.
While acknowledging that teachers and the education sector are not above criticism, GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG said they would resist any attempt to portray educators as responsible for wrongdoing outside their mandate.
“Our teachers cannot be made scapegoats or guinea pigs by any government appointee,” they stressed.
The unions consequently demanded a retraction of the comments and an apology from the Interior Minister, arguing that the teaching profession deserves respect for its contribution to the development of the country.
“We are fed up with this scapegoating and blame game against our teachers. Enough is enough!” the unions declared.
Read the statement below
