In many professions, rank is not just a title—it’s an identity. You can see it on uniforms, badges, name tags, or even the way someone is addressed. When you hear “Inspector General,” “Chief Superintendent,” “Warrant Officer 1,” “Doctor,” or “Lieutenant Colonel,” you know instantly who you’re talking to and what they represent. There’s respect attached to it.
But in the Ghana Education Service (GES), it’s a different story.
In GES, you can be standing with an Assistant Director I, Deputy Director, or even a Director I and never know. There’s no badge, no tag, no sign on their office door, and certainly no visual clue to suggest their position. This makes it easy to unknowingly disrespect or talk down to someone of a higher rank, not because people are rude, but because there’s simply no way to tell.
In fact, some of our own colleagues intentionally keep their ranks to themselves. The only time you might notice a difference is when a slightly higher salary drops into their account at the end of the month. Beyond that, it’s business as usual, no recognition, no special responsibilities that signify their growth, and no identity that sets them apart.
This invisibility makes the ranks almost meaningless. Even for the teachers who have earned these titles, the feeling of achievement is muted. Some people outside the teaching profession don’t even know that teachers have ranks at all. The system has made rank a private matter when it should be a public symbol of growth, dedication, and expertise.
That’s not how ranks should work.
If we want our profession to command respect, both within and outside the education sector, we need to start projecting our ranks with pride and dignity. It should reflect in how we are addressed, treated, and represented. Whether through visible badges, name tags, or labels on our offices, let the world know who we are and what we’ve worked hard to become.
Because when you don’t wear your rank, nobody knows you have one, and over time, even you may stop feeling it too.
Source: ITN CHANNEL
Blogpost by: Sire