NTC asked to increase 2023/24 teacher licensure exams pass mark

The National Teaching Council (NTC) after making reforms to the Ghana teacher licensure examination (GTLE) has been asked to increase the pass mark for the national examination to ensure qualified individuals are licensed to teach.

Speaking at a meeting to discuss the quality and trend analysis of the Ghana teacher licensure examination and teacher professionalism and practice, the Deputy Director for TVET Service said the pass mark for the GTLE is low.

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Mr David Prah in his submission said the 50% pass mark is equal to 50% of the teacher licensed to teach hence the need for the National Teaching Council (NTC) to increase the pass mark for the Ghana teacher licensure examination.

“I am happy that our teacher union leaders are with us. The pass rate and percentage for passing I believe is suspect and questionable. 50% for a teacher to step into a classroom, meaning that he has a 50% deficit which is disastrous and needs to be revised,” he said.

In a related story, effective 2023, all Ghana TVET teachers will partake in the Ghana teacher licensure examination (GTLE), David Prah, the Deputy Director General for Operations at the Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training Service (TVET) has said.

Speaking at the National Teaching Council (NTC) Research Dissemination event on the rollout of GTLE, the Ghana TVET Director emphasised the importance of the examination to note the characteristics of a good teacher.

“Teacher Licensure Examination is critical to teacher professionalism, and a good teacher is expected to exhibit certain professional characteristics, and so these characteristics are put in the Teacher Licensure Examination,” Prah said.

The research was on, “An Evaluation of the Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination, Quality and Trend Analysis of the Ghana Teacher Licensure Examinations, and Teacher Professionalism and Professional Practice in Ghana

The Registrar of NTC, Christian Addai Poku, on his part, said the teacher reforms put in place had made the country more competitive saying Ghana was recognised by the United Kingdom government as one of the four countries in Africa with qualified teachers.

“Ghana was selected by the UK government as one of the four countries in Africa whose teachers are exempt from Qualified Teachers Status (QTS) assessment should they apply to teach in the United Kingdom,” Addai Poku said.

The National Teaching Council’s (NTC) Registrar said the national examination for graduate teachers was a professional one to assess the people venturing into the occupation without living it out in the training institutions.