Over 6000 prospective teachers have failed the recent licensure examination, according to Dr. Christian Addai-Poku, Registrar of the Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination (GTLE).
Out of 7,728 candidates who sat for the examination, only 1,277 passed with the failure being recorded in numeracy and literacy.
Daniel Opoku, of the National Teaching Council (NTC), explained that the right calibre of individuals are needed in Ghana’s classrooms and that the country cannot afford to compromise quality.
While acknowledging that the results were a concern for the country, Opoku noted that some of the re-sitters who took the exam have written it as many as 10 times.
“As a council, I think it is a worry to the whole nation but the fact still remains that we need the right calibre of people in our classrooms and we cannot afford to compromise on quality. Let me also underscore the examination that was written recently was exclusively for re-sitters some of whom have written the examination five times, 8 times 10 times and they have still not been successful,” he said.
He stressed “So currently, we are phasing out what we call the traditional Ghana Teacher Licensure examination and bringing in a new one, we are reforming it.
“So in the course of the reforms, we decided that fresh candidates were not required to write this licensure examination so we limited it exclusively to re-sitters, 7000 people who have been writing the exams and have not passed. When the results came it was not different from the previous records, they still could not make it.
“Some people are just not capable of passing and I think they are not cut out for the teaching profession, they might be very good in other areas but might not be very good in the art of teaching and so they may have to redirect their energies to other areas. Other than that they would have to do more to demonstrate to everybody that they are fit for the purpose of teaching.”
Asked whether they have any other opportunity to rewrite the papers, Dr Addai-Poku said “There are two options open to them, they have one chance to write the exam in November, which will be the last chance for the traditional licensure examination. If they are not able to pass then there is still a door open for them. The opening is that if the person is already a degree holder in 2024 they can register the new system and write.
“The minimum qualification to teach in Ghana now is a degree so from 2024 if you don’t have a degree you cannot write the Ghana Teacher Lisensure examination.”
The current exam will be phased out, with a new system being introduced. The minimum qualification to teach in Ghana will be a degree from 2024.
By Vincent Kubi