The United Kingdom Department for Education has announced that teachers trained in Nigeria, Ghana, and India can no longer use the Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) route to apply for teaching positions in England. This change, effective September 9, 2026, was made to ensure that countries covered by the service have a national regulator capable of confirming a teacher's professional standing and providing references that meet the department's requirements.
According to the Department for Education, the decision to exclude Nigeria, Ghana, and India was based on data released on August 27, showing that a significant number of applications from these countries had issues with verification. Nigeria recorded 1,076 applications, with 364 resulting in QTS and 599 declined, representing a 95% rejection rate. Ghana had 1,067 applications, with 196 resulting in QTS and 749 declined, representing a 97% rejection rate.
The Department for Education stated that more than 70% of applications from teachers in Ghana and Nigeria included work history references that used public email addresses, such as Gmail or Hotmail, rather than a school's official email domain. This made it difficult for assessors to verify the information provided in applications, leading to additional time and resources being spent on verification.
To be eligible for QTS, overseas-trained teachers must have a valid passport, an undergraduate degree equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree, and professional recognition as a teacher in their country of training. They must also have completed any mandatory induction requirements needed for full teacher registration in their country of qualification and demonstrate that they are qualified to teach children aged between five and 16.
The Department for Education emphasized that teachers who are no longer eligible to use the QTS application service can explore other routes into teaching in England. Schools may consider alternative routes into teaching, and teachers qualified in Jamaica, Singapore, and South Africa can also apply under specified conditions, including additional subject and age requirements where applicable.
With the removal of Nigeria and Ghana, South Africa is now the only African country on the list of eligible countries for the QTS service. Countries and regions that remain eligible include Australia, Canada, the European Economic Area, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Jersey, New Zealand, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the USA.
The UK's decision to exclude Nigeria and Ghana from the teacher qualification route highlights the need for stricter verification processes for overseas-trained teachers. The Department for Education aims to ensure that teachers awarded QTS have the skills and experience required to teach in English schools, and alternative routes into teaching are available for those who are no longer eligible to use the QTS application service.
Key points
- The UK has excluded Nigeria, Ghana, and India from its teacher qualification route due to issues with verifying applicants' professional standing.
- The decision was based on data showing high rejection rates for applications from these countries, with 95% and 97% of applications from Nigeria and Ghana being declined, respectively.
- Teachers who are no longer eligible to use the QTS application service can explore other routes into teaching in England.
