Cancelling teacher licensure exams would be a disaster – EduWatch

Mr. Kofi Asare, the Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (EduWatch), has described the government’s decision to cancel the conduct of the Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination (GTLE) as a step in the wrong direction.

In an interview monitored by Pretertiary.com, the Director of Africa Education Watch stated that the teacher licensure examination is crucial in maintaining quality standards in Ghana’s education system.

Speaking on The Point of View on Channel One TV on Wednesday, July 16, he clarified that the Ghana teacher licensure examination administered by the National Teaching Council (NTC) has not been scrapped and remains vital for quality assurance.

“Teacher Licensure examination hasn’t been abolished. It’s still very relevant, and for me, we need it for quality assurance. If we abolish that particular examination conducted by that external body, we will be admitting many people whom I reviewed their scripts personally, who couldn’t put together a sentence in English,” he said.

Mr Kofi Asare stressed the need for the national teacher licensure examination conducted for College of Education graduate teacher trainees to remain under an independent body to ensure its credibility and objectivity.

“They will be admitting all of them to our classrooms, and that would be a disaster. So, we need the Teacher Licensure Exams. The fact that it is conducted by an independent body and not the faculty it’s very important,” he added.

The EduWatch Executive Director’s concerns come after the Ministry of Education (MoE) tasked the management of the National Teaching Council (NTC) to bring to an end the conduct of the Ghana teacher licensure examination (GTLE) by August 30, 2025.

The GTLE is a mandatory examination for individuals seeking to be recognized as teachers in Ghana. The National Teaching Council (NTC) is responsible for conducting this examination to ensure that teachers meet the required professional standards.

Speaking to journalists, Honorable Haruna Iddrisu, the Minister of Education, asked all stakeholders to work with the registrar of the NTC to set a firm date and ensure the process is completed within the stipulated timeframe.

“If there is a last opportunity for those who sat and couldn’t make it, that process should not travel beyond 30th August,” the Minister in Charge of Education and Tamale South Member of Parliament told the media.

He praised the chairman and members of the committee responsible for reviewing the teacher licensure framework, commending their far-reaching recommendations aimed at adopting a more comprehensive and practical approach to assessing teacher readiness.

“This new model will guide the teacher licensure examination beyond solely paper-based assessments,” the Minister for Education explained.

He added, “It incorporates supervised practicum evaluations and structured mentorship programmes, ensuring that newly trained teachers demonstrate not just theoretical knowledge but actual classroom competence.”

Mr Haruna Iddrisu noted that the new model would be implemented as soon as practicable, following the conclusion of the final teacher licensure opportunity for candidates who need to resit or join the examination.

According to him, the proposed reforms seek to improve the quality of education by ensuring that certified teachers possess the necessary practical skills alongside academic knowledge before entering the classroom.

In a related development, the National Teaching Council (NTC) has said the upcoming Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination (GTLE), scheduled from Friday to Sunday, will proceed as planned, despite the government’s recent directive to phase out the exams by August 30, 2025.