Teacher licensure exams, National Service will be cancelled when we come in 2025 – NDC backs Mahama

The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has defended its flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama’s stance on the abolishing of Teacher Licensure examinations when he becomes President in 2024.

According to the NDC, it is not opposed to the Licensing and Registration of Teachers but rather vehemently opposed is the use of “a needless Licensure Exam” as the basis or precondition for licensing teachers.

The former President has vowed to discontinue the teacher’s licensure examination.

Mr Mahama criticised the concept, deeming it poorly thought-through and expressed concerns about requiring students from colleges of education to undergo an additional test before practising.

Addressing supporters in the Bono Region, Mr Mahama questioned the necessity of subjecting students to another examination after completing their training.

He pledged that, if there are issues with training colleges, he would first eliminate the existing licensure examination.

This has attracted criticisms from the public.

In a statement on Monday, 20 November 2023, signed by its National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, stated the NDC started “piloting the licensing of teachers in the year 2016 without examination.

“We were ready to fully rollout the policy for the 2016/2017 academic year before we lost power.”

The party noted that: “The visionary Nation Builder has spoken in very clear terms on this matter. No attempt to spin to this well-thought out policy will wash.

“The obnoxious Teachers’ Licensure Exams and superfluous National Service will be canceled after John Mahama is sworn in as President on 7th January, 2025.”

It added: “Teacher trainees deserve to be automatically licensed and employed after successfully. completing their 4-year programmes.”