The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has tasked the National Teaching Council (NTC) to develop a professional alternative to the current teacher licensure exams, as government prepares to scrap the policy.
This directive is in line with a campaign promise by President John Mahama during the 2024 elections to end the teacher licensure exams if elected. The Education Minister confirmed that government is committed to keeping that promise.
“Yes, it is true the NDC campaigned on a manifesto promise, we will end licensure exams, we did promise and we will keep faith with the electorate,” he stated.
Mr Iddrisu said he is setting up a committee to guide the transition from the existing exam system to a new form of teacher qualification assessment.
“That is why I am putting this committee together to advise most appropriately how to walk through the transition, a transition from a licensure exam regime to a no-licensure exam,” he explained.
He added that the new approach should involve academic training and practical fieldwork as part of the teacher education curriculum. “In our manifesto again, it was our pledge to incorporate it into the curriculum of teacher training institutions… that it becomes part of their curriculum,” he said.
He also directed the committee to consider giving candidates who failed previous licensure exams one final opportunity to re-sit.
“I want to say that one last opportunity of a resit of the licensure exams for those who couldn’t make it… It must also be part of your recommendations. I don’t want to prejudice your work, but I think that may be a problematic necessity,” the Minister noted.
In addition to the reforms in teacher qualification, Mr Iddrisu expressed concern about the quality of graduates coming out of tertiary institutions. He made these remarks during the inauguration of the new board of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
The Minister congratulated the newly appointed board members, saying, “A hearty congratulations from the president and on my own behalf, I wish you well.”
He reminded them of their core duty to regulate and improve higher education in the country.
“Focus primarily on the regulatory mandate of the commission, and in particular, as you are aware, higher education remains the exit point for many young people getting exposure into the world of work,” he stated.
He highlighted growing concerns from the private sector about graduate competence.
“There are complaints from the Ghanaian private sector about the quality of the Ghanaian graduate. If you do an assessment and evaluation of interviews conducted both within the public and private sectors of Ghana, you will come to find out some questions about what is the quality of this graduate,” he said.
While acknowledging that some universities are doing well, he said there are instances where standards fall short. He urged GTEC to pay special attention to these issues to improve the overall standard of higher education.
“That is not to say that our universities are not producing the best quality, they are, but I am sure there are instances that some don’t live up to the calling and the expectation, and we need you to also, as a commission, give special attention to Ghanaian tertiary institutions.
“They have legitimate concerns and like it or not, they are contributing to what I describe as the ARQ – Access, Relevance and Quality in the provision of higher education in Ghana,” he added.
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