England closes direct access to QTS for teachers trained in Nigeria and Ghana

The UK Department for Education has removed Nigeria and Ghana from the service that allowed certain teachers trained abroad to obtain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) directly in England. The new rule took effect on September 9, 2026, and pertains to the candidates’ country of training.

This change ends a recognition process that could have facilitated hiring in many English schools. The government clarifies that QTS does not guarantee a position or a visa, but schools are more likely to recruit teachers who hold this status.

The Department for Education has tightened its verification criteria. To remain eligible for this direct route, a country must have a national regulator capable of confirming teachers’ professional status and allowing the production of references that meet British requirements.

For Nigeria and Ghana, the administration indicates that over 70% of applications include professional references sent from public addresses such as Gmail or Hotmail, rather than from an official school domain. It states that this practice prolongs and complicates the verification of the information provided.

The measure impacts a route that has become significant for Ghanaian teachers. In 2023, the National Teaching Council of Ghana reported that just over 16,000 teachers from the country had applied to British authorities, and that 10,000 holders of a Ghanaian license had already obtained QTS by mid-June. In 2024, the regulator still presented this recognition as an easier access to the British school market.

Teachers trained in Nigeria or Ghana are not prohibited from teaching in England. The UK government directs them to other pathways to obtain QTS and distinguishes this qualification from employment by a school as well as visa regulations.

In the updated list from London, South Africa remains the only African country whose teachers can still use this route, under certain conditions. Jamaica and Singapore are also included in this group, while Nigeria, Ghana, and India have been excluded since September 9.