The National Teaching Council (NTC) says it may request extension of the deadline for phasing out the teacher licensure exam from the Ministry of Education for the last batch of teachers who may fail the just written exam.
Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, has directed the NTC to ensure that by the end of August, the licensure exams is scrapped and incorporated into the curriculum of the training colleges.
Board Chairman of NTC, Kwame Alovi who spoke with 3news’ labour affairs correspondent, says when teachers are allowed to write exams before existing school, it will better prepare them and reduce the failure rates.
In recent years, pass rates for the teacher licensure examination have been a concern.
In 2023, 8,000 out of 20,000 teachers failed the exam. In 2022, 44,000 out of 120,000 candidates were unsuccessful.
Many teacher trainees say writing the licensure exam after school puts them at a disadvantage citing stress, cost, and lack of support. It is a debate that goes beyond the classroom.
In its last manifesto, the NDC proposed cancelling the exam altogether. But instead, a committee was formed to consult with training colleges on the way forward.
Mr Kwame Alovi indicated that the committee suggested the exam should be included in the school curriculum.
“So, the committee that was set up recommended as was captured in the NDC manifesto that it will be included in the final examination, so licensure will be part of their school curriculum. We also added the practical method that was missing, so the main reform is that instead of those on national service coming back to write the licensure they will write the exam before leaving the school”. He noted
Teacher unions, however, say cancelling the exam is not the solution.
General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Thomas Tanko Musah called for modalities for writing the licensure exams.
“There were several scenarios, some are saying that you will write the exam before entering the training college while others are saying you will write when you exit, so the stakeholders must meet and roll out the modalities.” He suggested.
President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) Angel Carbonu also underscored the relevance of the licensure exam.
“We have said that the ingredients for the licensure exam should be added to the school curriculum, so that by the time the person finishes school he will write this exam and receive the license and every year it will be renewed”
Last week, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu directed the National Teaching Council to allow the final batch of unlicensed teachers to sit for the exam this year.
That group includes 60,000 candidates, who are now the last to write under the current structure.
But what happens to candidates who fail the exam, the last in its current form?
Mr Alovi explained that, “there are three categories of teachers, about 30,000 of the teachers who have sat the exam multiple times, there are some also who have just completed National Service. They also must write the exam but cannot come to the school to write and the third candidates who have completed the universities, so we need to give them the chance to write the licensure exam, so we cannot deny them.”
He added that, “so the committee that I chaired recommended that the first timers, especially those that have done their National Service should have the chance to write the exam, so that the old licensure exam will be scrapped and those in the final year will have the opportunity to write the new licensure exam which will be incorporated in the school curriculum.”
As discussions continue among the NTC, government, and unions, the fate of the licensure exam remains undecided, but one thing is clear: reforms are on the horizon.
Source: 3News.com
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