The teachers act grants automatic licensure to trained teachers from colleges of education — Kwame Alorvi

Teachers graduated from the Diploma Teacher Training colleges were posted automatically in the past right from training colleges according to the Ghana Education Service, Act and National Teachers Council. The teaching module from teacher training colleges was structured in the past to prepared teachers to cover all the aptitude test and other related test under the licensure examination.
The former President of National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) said this on Adekyee Mu Nsem morning show on Ahotor 92.3 FM hosted by Citizen Kofi Owusu in Accra.
He reiterated that the restoration of the Teacher Trainees Allowance, was full of challenges under the curriculum currently run by the training colleges, where all the training colleges has been upgraded into tertiary institution.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) decision to still maintain the student allowance is not justified, and not financially prudent, where the student are qualified to go in for student loans.
This policy has really truncated the curriculum and professional training by teachers; where currently GES has incorporated National Service Scheme and unfortunately graduating from the four year diploma programme cannot automatically qualified you as a professional teacher when you failed your licensure examination, how justified is this as against the learning and teaching practical’s of years you spend at the training college relevant. He asks.
In another development, The Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) has expressed support for the licensure exams for teacher trainees, asserting that it is a beneficial policy and should not be cancelled.
The Association’s President, Prince Obeng Himah says the policy provides specialized training for teachers, distinguishing it from other professions.
This goes contrary to the stance of National Democratic Congress (NDC) flag bearer, John Dramani Mahama, who has promised to abolish the licensure exams.
He opined that, National Democratic Congress (NDC) was very emphatic about this policy proposal and this was spell out in their 2020 political party manifesto.
Kwame Alorvi noted that to some extent he agree with the flag bearer of the NDC, since there is not a need for this licensure exams, since the test and any form of the module under which the students are been tested with the licensure examination can be incorporated in the learning and teaching course content at the training colleges.
This he thinks can help to discourage the frustration the new trained teachers are going through after completion of the four year diploma programme at respective colleges with this licensure examination test.
Above all some of these students are been denied employment right after college is very unfortunate.
AYM Kukah: E:mail. kukahalexander7@gmail.com