Untrained teachers are deployed in basic schools in many developing countries as a measure to address enrolment escalation; minimising the financial burden on the government, much of whose education budget is already a recurrent cost. However, there has been little research into untrained teachers. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this article suggests that in Ghana untrained teachers--who form the majority at basic (primary and junior secondary) school level, especially in rural areas--are themselves heterogeneous, with differing qualifications and affiliations. Moreover, they appear to be unrecognised and unvalued by the authorities. On the other hand, trained head teachers in particular tend to experience powerlessness in the management of their untrained staff. This article therefore examines the complex environment in which teachers work and the important role of the authorities in influencing their working conditions. (Contains 11 notes, 10 tables and 2 figures.)