Education Minister warns against paying for BECE placement and teacher recruitment

Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has urged the public to report anyone demanding money for Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) school placements or teacher recruitment directly to the police, describing such acts as criminal and unacceptable.

Speaking at the Governance Series organised by Three Reports and the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, Mr Iddrisu acknowledged allegations of bribery within the education sector, saying the practice undermines public trust and must be eradicated.

“People take money for BECE placement. People take money for teacher recruitment. Is that the country we want to build? Certainly no,” he said.

The Education Minister stressed that anyone with evidence of such illegal activities should report the matter to law enforcement agencies instead of his office.

“But when you have the evidence, go to the police station, go to CID headquarters and share your evidence, and they deal ruthlessly with that person,” he stated.

Mr Iddrisu reiterated that individuals found demanding money in exchange for school placements or recruitment into the Ghana Education Service should face prosecution.

“If you find anyone involved in BECE placement who is demanding money from a parent or a student, please report it to the police, not the minister. That’s criminal, and it should be dealt with decisively and ruthlessly,” he added.

The minister said transparency and accountability remain the most effective tools for tackling corruption in public service delivery, including the education sector.

He also called on citizens to actively monitor the use of public resources and demand value for money from government projects, citing concerns over infrastructure projects, particularly roads, that deteriorate shortly after completion.

According to Mr Iddrisu, the government under President John Dramani Mahama is pursuing constitutional, legal and administrative reforms aimed at strengthening public institutions and improving governance.

Describing corruption as a persistent challenge in Ghana’s public service, he urged Ghanaians to remain vigilant and report wrongdoing whenever it occurs.

“The best way to deal with it is transparency. So citizens must be awake,” he said.