UK Tightens Teacher Verification Rules, Removes Nigeria and Ghana From Qualification Route
Teachers trained in Nigeria and Ghana can no longer apply for Qualified Teacher Status in England through the United Kingdom’s overseas-trained teacher application route, following tighter requirements for verifying applicants’ professional records.
The change took effect on September 9 after the UK Department for Education reviewed the conditions for countries participating in the scheme. India was also removed, while South Africa remains the only African country currently eligible under the route.
The department identified employment-reference verification as a major concern involving Nigerian and Ghanaian applicants. More than 70 percent of applications from the two countries reportedly included work-history references sent from personal email accounts rather than official addresses linked to schools.
The change means teachers from Nigeria and Ghana seeking to work in England will face a different route to professional recognition through the system. The QTS application process requires overseas teachers to demonstrate recognised teaching qualifications, relevant professional standing and post-qualification experience, among other conditions.
Applicants must also hold an undergraduate qualification equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree, meet the requirements for teaching pupils aged five to 16 and provide evidence of at least nine months of teaching experience after qualification. Employment references are expected to come through official school email domains so their authenticity can be checked.
The UK government says the verification requirements are intended to protect the credibility of the qualification and reduce the resources required to authenticate information supplied by applicants. About 90 percent of applications submitted through the service are assessed within 12 months.
The decision does not completely prevent Nigerian and Ghanaian teachers from working in England. Schools employ teachers directly and may consider other immigration and recruitment pathways, meaning affected teachers will need to explore alternative routes if they want to continue pursuing teaching opportunities in the country.
