According to Dr. Christian Addai-Poku, the Registrar of the Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination (GTLE), just 1,277 of the 7,728 prospective teachers who took the licensure examination in the last month were successful in passing it.

This means that 6,481 teachers were unsuccessful.

This percentage indicates that 16.5 percent of the candidates attempted the test more than once in order to become licenced as teaching practitioners.

According to Dr. Addi-Poku, all the applicants had participated in the examination a minimum of twice, and some of them had participated as many as nine times.

Over 6000 teachers fail Licensure Examination

He explained that those individuals who were impacted will have one final opportunity to retake the examination in the latter half of the year before both its structure and its content are revised.

He stated that those candidates with a first degree would be the ones who would fail the exam at their very last chance and would wish to continue to retake it.

He claimed that “those who currently hold a diploma will be required to upgrade themselves in order to acquire a first degree before they can retake the exam.”

“We are reforming and restructuring the examination, and we will begin this year with those who have qualified to write it for the first time,” he continued. “We will start it this year with those who have qualified to write it for the first time.”

He explained that, in contrast to the previous examination, in which the applicants were tested on their numeracy, literacy, and professional abilities, the new examination would require them to demonstrate their knowledge in a particular field of expertise.

Dr. Addai-Poku continued by explaining that a candidate who wished to teach geography was required to be assessed in geography in addition to the aforementioned three subject areas.

The Education Act of 2008, also known as Act 778, was the legislation that the government relied on in order to establish the NTLE in 2019, and the very first teacher licensure examinations were held in September 2018.

In September 2018, the first round of licensure tests was held, and over 28,000 newly-trained teachers participated.

The National Teaching Council (NTC) was created by the government with the purpose of enhancing the professional standing and position of teachers across the country.

Two of the most important policies being pursued by the government through the NTC are the implementation of teacher licences and continual professional development.

Sompaonline.com/Nana Yaw Boamah