Teacher licensure exam starts today despite protests

Over 20, 000 teacher trainees are expected to begin their scheduled licensure examination from today Monday (September 10, 2018).

The Public Relations Officer for the National Teaching Council (NTC), Dennis Osei- Owusu told Accra-based Citi FM that a total of 28, 576 students will sit for the examination.

The NTC earlier said that Colleges of Education campuses will be used as centres for the examination with the exception of Christ the Teacher, Akim Oda Methodist, St. Ambrose, Agona SDA, McCoy, Cambridge, Jackson and Holy Spirit Colleges of Education.

The National Teaching Council is to oversee the exam in accordance with the Education Act, 2008 (Act 778).

All teachers who hold a Diploma in Basic Education (DBE), Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) or a post-graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) who want to be employed by the Ghana Education Service must take part in the exams.

When the National Teaching Council (NTC) announced that it will organise the first teachers' licence exams in September 2018, the teachers protested.

The teachers argue that they have already undergone training and therefore did not see the need for a teachers licence exams.

However, the NTC warned the teachers they will not be allowed to teach in the country if they refused to take the test.

After a meeting with some stakeholders, the Ministry of Education announced the concerned teachers have agreed to take the test from Monday as scheduled.

Though the majority of the newly trained teachers voiced their displeasure with some even embarking on demonstrations, the council said over 13,700 of the expected 20,000 trainees have registered.