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The Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination was introduced in 2018 to ensure quality education and professionalism. However, the high failure rate is becoming more detrimental than beneficial to teachers.
A total of 6,451 representing 83.5% of teachers failed the 2023 Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination conducted in May 2023. The impact of this goes beyond the assessment process itself since mass failure of teacher trainees will lead to limited job opportunities and deserving candidates may be denied employment due to an arbitrary cutoff score worsening the already bad unemployment situation in the country which some experts see as a national security threat.
It is believed that the licensure examination is needless because students who train for three years in teacher training colleges and have passed all examinations do not need to pass a six-hour aptitude test before they are deemed qualified to teach when the country is in dire need of teachers.
It is based on some of these reasons that H.E. John Dramani Mahama, the 2024 flag-bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has promised to abolish the obnoxious licensure examination to restore the automatic employment of teacher trainee graduates if he becomes president of the Republic again.
As much as the teacher licensure examination is purported to enhance quality education in the country, some skeptics believe the decision was taken as part of the ruling party's strategies to cut down government expenditure.
According to a 2022 report of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), the total number of employees on government payroll was 688,000 with an annual wage bill of Ghc2.3 billion.
Interestingly, 341,930 out of these total number of government employees representing about 50% were staff of the Ghana Education Service. Therefore, the allegation that the teacher licensure examination policy is meant to reduce the number of teachers to slash the annual wage bill of government makes sense.
In any case, Mahama's promise to abolish the examination if voted for as president in December, 2024, will be a great relief to teachers in Ghana.
Kikikikikiki, as a friend will put it, 2024 go sweet keke, teachers dem Yaanom go work this out. Mark my words!