In Ghana’s educational landscape, a troubling trend has emerged: academic titles and paper credentials are increasingly valued over genuine knowledge, experience, and practical skill. This problem has become especially evident in the current, unprecedented plight of downgraded staff of the Colleges of Education, who today face harsh treatment from the regulator despite their immense contribution to teacher training and national development.

The recent migration of Colleges of Education staff onto the university salary structure—much like all other public sector migrations—has exposed the flaws of a system that worships certificates instead of competence. It is disheartening that leaders who should know better continue to reinforce this unfortunate practice. The placement of Principal Instructors (PIs) with Master’s degrees on the same rank as Diploma, Bachelor’s, and HND holders is a glaring example of this anomaly.

This situation echoes the sentiments of Prof. P.L.O. Lumumba, who once lamented that some African academics, driven by a misplaced obsession with titles, prioritize status over real knowledge. Prioritizing credentials at the expense of practical expertise is a dangerous path—especially in a country like Ghana, where development requires critical thinkers, innovators, and problem-solvers.

Countries such as Germany, Switzerland, and Singapore have successfully shifted from credentialism to emphasizing real skills and competence. There, vocational training, apprenticeships, and hands-on expertise are deeply respected—far more than just certificates that can be obtained without genuine mastery.

The argument that teaching staff in the Colleges of Education were downgraded and placed on the Principal Instructor rank merely to avoid redundancy is deeply flawed. It reflects a misunderstanding of labour law and a disregard for the value of long years of teaching experience. Every lecturer within the Colleges of Education holds a Master’s degree in a specialized field. It is these very lecturers who have trained the competent B.Ed graduates who are now contributing meaningfully to Ghana’s education system.

As the saying goes, “Anyone can fake a certificate, but knowledge and skill cannot be faked.” It is time for Ghana to appreciate that real expertise cannot be replaced by mere paper qualifications—many of which cannot even be properly verified.

Ghana urgently needs a paradigm shift that places knowledge, innovation, critical thinking, and practical experience above titles and academic decorations. Only then can our education system produce individuals truly equipped to drive national development in the 21st century.

Policymakers, regulators, and union leaders must work together to build an education system that rewards competence, skill, and innovation from basic school to tertiary—not one that blindly elevates credentials that can easily be acquired.

The downgraded staff of the Colleges of Education—used as scapegoats for obvious political reasons—deserve appropriate placement as they continue to diligently serve in their institutions.

— A Concerned Member of CETAG