Overeducation: A Growing Phenomenon Among Ghanaian Teachers at the Pre-Tertiary Level? The Empirical Evidence

Abstract

This paper purposes to examine the phenomenon of overeducation which prevails in Ghana among the pre-tertiary teachers notably at the public (managed using the tax-payers money) Junior High School (JHS) where some public JHS teachers possess Masters’ degree in a sector where a Diploma qualification is required to teach. Using the Cramer’s V statistical modelling, findings indicate that the issue of the public Kumasi JHS Teachers possessing higher qualification of Masters degree could not be describe as a phenomenon of overeducation, but could best be described as outskilling, which denotes employees undertaking or acquiring skills training and higher qualifications with the intention that the employees will eventually leave the establishment and take those skills elsewhere. From a policy point of view, the Ghana Education Service (the employer) must review its employment policy to recognising and appreciating in terms of compensation and promotion the Public JHS teachers possessing the Masters degree to attenuate the phenomenon of outskilling, and turn it rather into upskilling, which is equipping workers with the tools and education needed for job within the same establishment.