Ask a child in Ghana what profession he or she dreams of pursuing.
Most will mention doctor, engineer, lawyer, lecturer, pilot, or nurse.
Very few will say carpenter, farmer, tailor, cleaner, mason, or blacksmith. But can we really blame them?
Growing up, I wanted to become a teacher.
As I grew older, however, I abandoned that dream.
The poor conditions in many classrooms, the challenges teachers face, and the way society often treats them discouraged me.
I was, therefore, not surprised when teachers recently demonstrated over unpaid salaries.
A nursing mother among them openly said she regretted becoming a teacher, while another remarked, "Teachers are not respected in Ghana at all."
Their comments reveal a painful truth: In Ghana, respect often shapes career choices.
This is evident during Career Day celebrations in many basic schools.
Most learners proudly dress as doctors, nurses, lawyers, engineers, soldiers, police officers, or pilots.
Few choose to represent carpenters, farmers, mechanics, cleaners, or waste collectors.
From childhood, many are taught that some professions deserve greater admiration than others.
This article, therefore, seeks to examine some of the reasons behind this unfortunate phenomenon, with the hope of helping to change society’s perception of professions now or in the near future.
Contributing factors
One reason is salary. Respect is often linked to wealth and material possessions.
Those with expensive cars, houses, and fashionable clothing are frequently admired more than others.
Consequently, many young people avoid lower-paying careers even when those careers match their talents.
Former Ghanaian footballer Charles Taylor once recalled being denied entry into the Accra Sports Stadium because he was driving an old car, while another player in a luxury vehicle entered without difficulty.
He admitted the incident made him cry (Angel FM interview, 2025). His experience reminds us that people are sometimes judged more by what they own than by who they are.
This mindset has consequences. Some professions may become overcrowded while others face shortages.
Recently, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh announced that the government was considering reducing admissions to health training institutions because more graduates were being produced than the health sector needed.
Although several factors explain this, the prestige attached to health professions may also influence some young people to pursue them regardless of their true interests.
This is the bitter pill. Some people abandon careers they genuinely love because they fear society may not respect them.
Similarly, Ghanaian musician Okyeame Kwame has urged parents to guide rather than force children into careers.
He revealed that although he was pushed towards accounting, his true passion was music (Springboard, Joy FM).
Additionally, the difficulty of attainment.
Professions such as medicine, law, engineering, and accountancy require years of study and rigorous training.
This often leads people to value them more highly.
Yet every honest profession demands skill, commitment, and sacrifice.
Prestige also shapes public perception. Some occupations command admiration because of their status, uniforms, or influence.
Yet perceptions change. Years ago, football was not regarded as a prestigious profession in Ghana.
Today, professional footballers are among the most admired people, showing that society's views can evolve.
Morality also matters. Corruption, dishonesty, and abuse of office can damage the image of an entire profession.
The first National Tracking Poll of 2025 by Global InfoAnalytics found that the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Immigration Service were perceived as the most corrupt public institutions in the country, followed by the Judiciary, the Ghana Revenue Authority, local government officials, and business executives.
Although this does not mean everyone in these professions is corrupt, it shows how the actions of a few can affect public trust.
Every honest profession deserves dignity and respect.
Teachers, farmers, artisans, mechanics, traders, nurses, engineers, doctors, cleaners, and many others all contribute to national development.
If we continue to value only a few professions, we will discourage talent, create shortages in essential sectors, and slow national progress.
It is time to respect professions not for their salary, prestige, or perceived difficulty, but for the value they bring to society.
Will we continue to swallow this bitter pill, or will we finally spit it out?
The ball is in our court.
The writer is an institutional assessment practitioner.
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