The United Kingdom has removed teachers trained in Nigeria and Ghana from the list of countries whose teaching qualifications are eligible for direct application for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England.
The change took effect on September 9, according to the UK Department for Education.
QTS is a legal requirement for teaching in many schools across England, making the policy change significant for Nigerian and Ghanaian teachers seeking to pursue teaching careers in the UK.
The UK Department for Education said teaching qualifications and professional experience are assessed against strict requirements before QTS is awarded.
The department said the assessment process is intended to ensure that only teachers who meet its required standards are granted the qualification.
The development means teachers trained in Nigeria and Ghana will no longer be able to use the affected qualification route to apply for QTS in England.
The change is expected to affect Nigerian and Ghanaian teachers who had planned to use their home-country teaching qualifications as a pathway into England’s school system.
