Wasteful or Wise?” Eduwatch Slams Jomoro College Plan as Costly Misfire

Africa Education Watch has taken a hard swipe at government plans to establish a new College of Education in Jomoro, describing the move as wasteful, poorly justified, and disconnected from Ghana’s real education needs. The criticism follows an announcement by Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu on March 31, 2026, revealing that a new college will be set up in Ezinlibo to serve the Jomoro Constituency, with operations expected to begin in 2027. In a strongly worded statement issued on April 1, Eduwatch argued that the proposal comes at the wrong time—especially as Ghana grapples with an estimated GH¢16 billion annual financing gap in the education sector. The group pointed to glaring inefficiencies already within the system, citing the underutilisation of nearby institutions like Enchi College of Education in the Aowin Municipality, which is reportedly operating 30% below capacity due to admission caps introduced by the Ministry of Education in 2022. According to Eduwatch, building a new college in the same enclave while existing ones remain underused raises serious concerns about planning and resource allocation. They further noted that the Western Region already hosts four Colleges of Education, in addition to teacher training programmes offered through distance learning by University of Cape Coast. From a national perspective, the think tank warned of a deeper structural issue—an oversupply of trained teachers. It stressed that even with reduced admissions across the country’s 46 public Colleges of Education, institutions like University of Education, Winneba, University of Ghana, and University for Development Studies continue to produce more than double the number of teachers needed annually. Eduwatch cautioned that this imbalance is not only unsustainable but also places a heavy financial burden on the state, urging policymakers to rethink the project and prioritise efficiency over expansion.