Professor Stephen Adei, a former rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), has said that the general quality of education in Ghana has declined.
Although he claims that some educational institutions are producing high-quality work, the overall grade of education in Ghana is declining.
He commented on the many failures of the Teacher Licensure Examination saying, “There is absolutely no doubt at all that our standard in education has fallen.”
According to Dr. Christian Addai-Poku, Registrar of the Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination (GTLE), over 6000 teachers failed the licensure exam last month. Only 1,277 of the 7,728 potential instructors who took the license exam last month passed, he claimed.
However, according to Dr. Christian Addai-Poku, the National Teaching Council (NTC) will continue to make sure that teachers of the correct caliber remain in the classrooms.
He said that the nation needs teachers of the proper caliber, and the system cannot afford to compromise on quality. Adding that as a council, he believes it is a concern for the entire country.
Exams Conducted Only For Re-sitters
He further emphasized that the exam that was just written was only for re-sitters, some of them had already attempted the exam five, eight, or ten times and were still unsuccessful.
“So currently, we are phasing out what we call the traditional Ghana Teacher Licensure examination and bringing in a new one, we are reforming it.
“So in the course of the reforms, we decided that fresh candidates were not required to write this licensure examination so we limited it exclusively to re-sitters, 7000 people who have been writing the exams and have not passed. When the results came, it was not different from the previous records, they still could not make it.”
Dr. Addai-Poku
Prof. Adei said that while some people are obviously not capable of passing, he believed that they are not suited for the teaching profession. He added that while they may excel in other areas, they may not be particularly skilled in the art of instructing.
“…so they may have to redirect their energies to other areas. Other than that they would have to do more to demonstrate to everybody that they are fit for the purpose of teaching.”
Prof Stephen Adei
Dr. Addai-Poku when asked whether there was a second chance to retake the exams, he stated that “There are two options open to them, they have one chance to write the exam in November, which will be the last chance for the traditional licensure examination. If they are not able to pass then there is still a door open for them. The opening is that if the person is already a degree holder in 2024 they can register the new system and write.”
He added that a degree is now the prerequisite for teaching in Ghana, thus starting in 2024, anyone without a degree will not be able to sit for the Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination.
Moreover, Professor Jonathan Fletcher, an expert in teacher professional development and an assessment consultant, claims that trainee teachers who failed their licensure examinations had a commitment to teaching and should not have been there to begin with.
He asserts that it is not enough to enter into the training institutions with just the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) results which in his view, are generic.
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