In response to former President John Dramani Mahama’s proposal to cancel the Teacher Licensure Examination, the President of The Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG), Prince Obeng Himah, has voiced his disagreement.
Himah believes that the examination is a good initiative and should not be discontinued.
Mahama recently expressed his opinion that the teacher licensure examination is unnecessary, stating that it does not make sense to have students undergo examinations throughout their time in college, only to require them to take another one before they can begin teaching, even though he initiated the process.
The National Teaching Council (NTC), an agency under the Ministry of Education, introduced the Teacher Licensure Examination in 2018.
The purpose of the examination is to license teachers who teach or wish to teach in public pre-tertiary schools in the country.
The Ministry of Education has stated that this move is in accordance with Section 12(4) of the Education Act, 2008 (Act 778), which mandates the development of a program of study leading to a teaching license in consultation with the Council.
While Mahama has openly expressed his intention to abolish the licensure exam if he becomes president again, Himah disagrees.
In an interview with Accra-based Citi FM, Himah emphasized the importance of implementing the entrance exams that were agreed upon during a conference two years ago.
CETAG believes that students who aspire to enter the teaching profession should be subjected to these exams.
It remains to be seen how this ongoing debate between CETAG and Mahama will be resolved.
For now, the Ministry of Education and the NTC continue to advocate for the Teacher Licensure Examination as a crucial step in maintaining high standards in the teaching profession.
By Vincent Kubi