UK Excludes Nigerian, Ghanaian-Trained Teachers From Teaching Qualification List

The United Kingdom has removed Nigeria and Ghana from the list of countries whose teachers can directly apply for Qualified Teacher Status in England.

The change, which took effect on September 9, 2026, means teachers trained in either country can no longer use the UK Department for Education’s “Apply for QTS in England” service.

India was also removed from the eligibility list under the revised requirements.

The Department for Education said countries covered by the direct application route must have a national regulator capable of confirming teachers’ professional standing and provide employment references that meet its verification standards.

For Nigeria and Ghana, the department cited concerns about the use of public email addresses in employment references.

It said more than 70 per cent of applications from teachers in the two countries contained work-history references using addresses such as Gmail or Hotmail instead of official school email domains.

According to the department, the arrangement requires assessors to spend additional time and resources verifying information supplied by applicants.

The DfE said the revised requirements were introduced to ensure that information submitted by overseas-trained teachers could be properly authenticated and that those awarded QTS possessed the necessary skills and experience to teach in England.

Recent application data showed that Nigeria had 1,076 QTS applications in the 2024–2025 academic year, with 364 resulting in QTS and 599 declined. Ghana recorded 1,067 applications, of which 196 resulted in QTS and 749 were declined.

The direct QTS route remains available to teachers trained in countries and regions including Australia, Canada, the European Economic Area, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United States.

Teachers trained in Jamaica, Singapore and South Africa can also apply under specific conditions, including requirements relating to their employment status and subject specialisation.

The UK government stressed that the exclusion from the direct QTS service does not permanently bar Nigerian or Ghanaian teachers from teaching in England.

Affected teachers may explore alternative routes into the profession, depending on their qualifications, experience and individual circumstances.

QTS is the professional status used for teachers in England and is recognised by many schools when recruiting teaching staff.

The development is expected to affect Nigerian and Ghanaian teachers seeking to relocate to England through the direct overseas-trained teacher qualification route.