The United Kingdom has excluded teachers trained in Nigeria and Ghana from the country's overseas-trained teacher route for obtaining Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England. This change, effective September 9, 2026, was announced by the UK Department for Education (DfE). The decision was made following a review of eligible countries, citing difficulties in verifying applicants' professional records. Nigeria and Ghana join India among countries removed from the revised list.
The DfE stated that the verification problems place additional demands on assessors and make it harder to establish the authenticity of information supplied by applicants. According to the department, more than 70% of applications from teachers in Ghana and Nigeria contain work-history references that use public email services, such as Gmail and Hotmail, rather than official email addresses associated with schools. This practice creates difficulties for assessors attempting to authenticate information.
The overseas-trained teacher route allows qualified teachers trained overseas to seek recognition to teach in England. However, the DfE's decision does not prohibit teachers trained in Nigeria or Ghana from working in the UK under every possible immigration or employment route. The department emphasized that an eligible country must have a national regulator capable of confirming a teacher's professional standing and providing authenticated references.
The revised eligibility framework places particular emphasis on the ability of national regulatory bodies to authenticate the professional status and records of teachers seeking recognition in England. Under the overseas-trained teacher route, applicants are generally required to hold a valid and unexpired passport, an undergraduate degree equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree, and professional recognition as a teacher in the country where they completed their training.
The DfE's assessment process is intended to ensure that teachers awarded QTS possess the qualifications, skills, and experience required to teach in English schools. The department said that about 90% of applications are assessed within 12 months. With the latest changes, South Africa is now the only African country remaining on the list of countries whose teachers can apply through the route.
India was also removed from the list after the DfE determined that it did not have a national regulator capable of confirming applicants' professional standing to the standard required under the overseas-trained teacher route. The DfE stressed that the ability to independently verify professional records is a key requirement for countries whose teachers are permitted to use the overseas-trained teacher route.
The UK's decision to exclude teachers trained in Nigeria and Ghana from the QTS route highlights the importance of reliable verification of applicants' professional standing, qualifications, and employment history. The move aims to ensure that overseas teachers awarded QTS have the skills and experience needed to teach in schools in England.
Key points
- The UK Department for Education excluded Nigeria and Ghana from the overseas-trained teacher route due to difficulties in verifying applicants' professional records.
- The decision affects a specific route for obtaining Qualified Teacher Status in England but does not prohibit teachers trained in Nigeria or Ghana from working in the UK under every possible immigration or employment route.
- South Africa is now the only African country remaining on the list of countries whose teachers can apply through the overseas-trained teacher route.
