NTC to implement new teacher licensure exam reforms 2023

The National Teaching Council after a stakeholder engagement on the reform of the conduct of the Ghana teacher licensure examination says new teacher licensure exam reforms will be implemented in the 2023 academic year.

The reform meeting, the Council in a post sighted by AcademicWeek said was attended by principals of Colleges of Education, Vice Chancellors of Universities of Education and representatives of teacher unions and student unions.

In a discussion, the Registrar of the NTC, Dr Christian Addai Poku said the Ghana teacher licensure exam reforms will improve the conduct of the national assessment examination for teachers aiming to be professionals in the country.

“The reforms will include the introduction of the subject and computer-based testing which will examine the proficiency of teachers in their areas of specialization as we do away with paper and pen testing,” Mr Addai stated.

Under the proposed plan, numeracy and literacy will be taken off the exams and candidates will be examined both in professionalism and competence in their major subject areas.

As a regulatory body, Dr Christian said the National Teaching Council will continue to execute its core mandate as captured in the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023) and continue the issuance process in 2022.

In other news, the management of the Teaching Council (NTC) has said an entrance examination would be conducted for WASSCE graduates seeking admission into any of the public Colleges of Education to pursue teacher education.

Dubbed the Ghana Basic Education Skills Examination Test (GBEST) Mr Addai Poku at a stakeholder’s meeting said the College of Education entrance examination will ensure Teacher Training Colleges produce quality teachers.

“The GBEST will, thus, be used as the entry assessment for the trainee teachers and after completion, the students will be made to write a level and subject-based licensure examination to be qualified as professional teachers,” he stated.

According to him, the College entrance examination forms part of reforms being proposed by NTC to harmonise teacher education admissions in the country and also improve teacher education as part of the educational reforms.

Earlier slated to be conducted in August this year but postponed, an official of the NTC has told AcademicWeek.com his outfit at the appropriate time will communicate a new date for the administration of the College examination.