Registrar of the Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination (GTLE), Dr Christian Addai-Poku, has disclosed that prospective teachers who failed again in the licensure exam have another opportunity to pass.
According to him, it is a worry to all, especially government that there are a crop of people who have spent so much time and resources to be educated and come out this way. The outcome of the staggering failure of these prospects in the licensure exam, he indicated, reflects what stakeholders have talked about whereby, “it is not anybody that has passed teacher education institutions that qualifies to be a teacher”.
“As my personal opinion, it is not everybody who is fit to be a teacher, but then there are still other doors open. As at now, we are doing reform, so those who have not been successful in the current examination, still have one more chance, around November to write and pass…”
Dr Christian Addai-Poku
Dr Addai-Poku stated that for those who are unable to pass, they have two options to help them still become teachers. He explained that for a degree holder, he or she may have to transition from the current teacher licensure examination to the new one that GLTE is bringing in August.
He however noted that the group will only be privileged to write the exam in 2024.
“However, we have others who have diploma in education and those who do not have degrees. The national policy now is that the minimum qualification to teach is first degree…”
Dr Christian Addai-Poku
Eligibility of candidate for licensure exams
Furthermore, Dr Poku-Addai disclosed that from next year, prospective teachers without a first degree will be unable to write the Ghana Teacher Licensure examination. This, he revealed, means those who do not have degrees as at now and have been writing licensure examinations, must upgrade themselves and come back to write the licensure examination.
“If all are not working for them, then the best alternative is to look for another profession, maybe teaching is not cut out for them.”
Dr Christian Addai-Poku
Commenting on the over 6,000 prospective teachers who failed in the licensure exams, Dr Addai-Poku highlighted that the examination specifically was for those who could not be successful in the previous licensure examination. He noted that some of these re-sitters have written the licensure examination nine times.
In spite of this, he stated that his outfit still wants to help those who failed to pass, although “it’s a surprise to us that the failure rate is so high”.
“… I think that if you draw a normal curve you’ll find some people who really do not fit and those who fit. Over the years, the pass rate of the licensure examination has hovered around 60%-70% pass. So, the numbers that are unable to pass are the people that continuously resit and you get some of them making it after few attempts and then there are others that no matter what you do, it appears to us that they just can’t fit for the classroom.”
Dr Christian Addai-Poku
Elaborating on the reason for the licensure examination, the GTLE Registrar revealed that the quality required in teaching students has necessitated the moved. As such, it was decided that the wholesale recruitment of people from the training institutions into the classroom must be altered.
“We thought that our teachers were doing okay but to be frank, it’s not every teacher that is doing okay and it’s not every teacher that really is fit for the classroom. So, over the years we realized that to get quality teachers that will provide us the quality education, there’s the need to have a relook at the quality that is brought into the classrooms.”
Dr Christian Addai-Poku
