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Claim: A Facebook user claimed the United Kingdom’s removal of Ghanaian teachers from the list of countries eligible to apply to teach in the UK was related to the recent narcotics seizures in Ghana.
VERDICT: False. The UK Department for Education (DfE) explained it removed Nigeria and Ghana-trained teachers from the list of countries eligible for its direct qualified teacher status (QTS) service because the countries failed the reference-verification requirement. The DfE statement did not link this to drug seizures.
Full Text
On Sept. 9, 2026, the UK Department for Education (DfE) announced it has removed Ghana and Nigeria from the list of countries whose teachers can apply through the overseas-trained teacher service for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England. It also removed India.
Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) is the professional status required to teach in England’s school system. It is a legal requirement in many schools, although some institutions, including certain academies, free schools and private schools, may employ teachers without it.
The change became widely reported in Ghana and Nigeria on Sept. 22, 2026, in the same week that Ghana-linked cocaine seizures were dominating headlines. French customs found nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine in a container of plastic waste from Ghana at Dunkirk in September, part of it bound for Antwerp. In August, Tema police seized 866 parcels of suspected cocaine hidden in garri sacks.
The claim by WayNe Belfast, which has generated over 500 reactions, ties two high-profile national stories: the UK’s removal of Ghana from its teacher qualification route and the recent cocaine seizures.
This could mislead the public, especially teachers, about the reason for a decision that affects their careers.
As a result, DUBAWA investigated.
Verification
DUBAWA checked the UK Department for Education (DfE) website to get accurate information. Ghana was removed because of difficulties verifying application materials; specifically, over 70% of Ghanaian applicants used public email addresses for work history references, which forced assessors to spend more time verifying them.
The DfE stated: “Our data shows that more than 70% of applications from teachers in Ghana and Nigeria include work history references that use public email addresses, such as Gmail or Hotmail, rather than a school’s official email domain.”
Screenshot of the UK government’s official website which sets out who can use the direct QTS route and lists the eligible countries.
The DfE said the removal followed updated eligibility requirements designed to ensure that the professional standing, qualifications and employment history of overseas-trained teachers can be properly verified. The UK government emphasised the need to ensure applicants’ information is genuine.
National regulator requirement
To remain on the QTS list, a country must have a national regulator that can confirm teachers’ professional qualifications and provide verified references. Ghana and Nigeria failed to meet this requirement for reference verification. India was also removed, but for a completely different reason: it lacks a national regulator.
Conclusion
The claim that the UK removed Ghanaian teachers from the QTS route because of drug-related issues is false. The UK DfE’s official documents clearly state the decision was based on systemic issues in the application verification process.
