A spokesperson for former Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, Yaw Opoku Mensah, has disputed claims that the Ghana Education Service (GES) still relies heavily on manual processes. According to Opoku Mensah, several digital platforms were introduced years ago to address such challenges. In a statement, the former minister's office said the digital systems being advocated by the current Education Minister had already been developed and implemented within the GES. The statement called for the restoration and improvement of the platforms, rather than the introduction of new systems.
The response follows comments by the current Education Minister in a video about manual data entry within the GES. Opoku Mensah stated that those comments risk creating the impression that the Service had not previously undertaken significant digital reforms. He said GES began its digital transformation efforts in 2017 with the aim of reducing paperwork, improving data management, and speeding up service delivery. Among the platforms introduced were the GES Recruitment and Promotions platforms, Smart Workplace, the Self-Placement Recruitment Platform, and the Ghana Education Service Management Information System (GESMIS).
The GES Recruitment and Promotions platforms were designed to simplify staff administration and reduce delays in processes affecting teachers and other GES employees. The systems allowed promotions and related administrative matters to be processed more efficiently while reducing the need for staff to repeatedly submit supporting documents. According to Opoku Mensah, these reforms directly addressed delays and paperwork in services affecting staff welfare and career progression.
The Self-Placement Recruitment Platform, introduced in 2024, allowed newly recruited teachers to select their preferred regions, districts, and schools before printing their appointment letters online. More than 12,000 newly recruited teachers across the country used the platform to print their appointment letters in less than four hours. The spokesperson said the exercise demonstrated how digital platforms could reduce administrative pressure while giving teachers greater control over their placements.
Smart Workplace was introduced to digitise internal communication and administrative processes at the GES headquarters. The platform allowed memos, correspondence, and other official communications to be processed electronically, reducing the need to move physical files between offices. Customised official email accounts were also introduced for GES staff, beginning at the headquarters, with plans to extend the system progressively to the school level.
The Ghana Education Service Management Information System (GESMIS) was designed to improve the collection, processing, and management of data from schools through district and regional offices to the GES headquarters. GESMIS was intended to reduce repeated manual data entry and provide a coordinated system for administration and decision-making across the Service. Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum officially launched GESMIS in 2024 as part of efforts to improve efficiency, transparency, accountability, and service delivery.
Opoku Mensah called on the Education Ministry and GES leadership to investigate why the platforms were no longer being used and take steps to restore them. He said technical and administrative problems affecting the systems should be identified and addressed, while improvements could be made to the existing platforms where necessary. The spokesperson stressed that digital transformation required continuity, arguing that systems must be maintained and staff supported to use them effectively.
Key points
- The Ghana Education Service had already implemented several digital platforms to reduce manual processes.
- The platforms were discontinued, resulting in a return to manual processes.
- The former minister's spokesperson called for the restoration and improvement of the existing digital platforms.
