Teachers’ License Exams: Modalities long overdue – GNAT tells NTC

The leadership of the Ghana National Association of Teachers(GNAT) says the National Teaching Council is supposed to set the modalities to begin the regime of licensing exams for teachers in the country.

“It behoves on the Council to develop the modalities for that.The teachers are aware of that; for five years we have educated our members to know that there will be a process for licensing, and at the moment what we are waiting for is the process to set the ball rolling.” Mr David Ofori Acheampong, the General Secretary of GNAT told Kasapa 102.5 FM Tuesday.

His comment comes on the back of an announcement by the National Teaching Council (NTC) indicating that teachers will now have to pass a special examination before being granted the licence to teach.

The move, according to the NTC, is to enforce discipline and eliminate non-performing teachers from the system, in accordance with the new Teachers Licencing Policy under the Education Act 778 (2008).

The Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Education Service, Rev. Jonathan Bettey, in an interview with Starr FM Tuesday, said the reform is part of the sector’s professional development and it applies to both trainee teachers graduating from public and private teacher training colleges.

He disclosed that the exams will take place in September, adding that anyone who fails will not qualify to be a professional teacher.