President of the Teacher Trainees’ Association of Ghana (TTAG), Soale Razak, has commended the decision by the government to review the teacher licensure examination in its current form.
Speaking at the association’s 29th Annual Delegates Congress at Hohoe on Friday, Mr Razak noted that there were inconsistencies between the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) programmes and how examinations were prepared for the trainees.
“There is a disconnect between the B.Ed. curriculum and the examination structure, coupled with the lack of adequate preparation time and resources.
“We commend the National Teaching Council, and by extension the Ministry and the Committee, for engaging the Teacher Training Association of Ghana in a meaningful dialogue to reform the exam in a way that maintains quality without being punitive,” he said.
The first licensure examination started in September 2018 during the erstwhile Akufo-Addo administration.
During last year’s presidential election campaign, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) pledged to get rid of the examination.
Mr Razak also urged the government to offer it a seat at the table during high-stakes decision-making regarding the education sector.
According to him, this will afford them the opportunity to share their unique perspectives and insights on key policy proposals.
Dr. Clement Apaak, Deputy Minister for Education, announced on behalf of President John Mahama at the Teacher Trainees’ Association (TTAG) 29th Annual Delegates Congress in Hohoe on Friday that the government will work with development partners to improve educational outcomes.
“In the interest of national development and a comprehensive work that would include the experiences and perspectives of the candidate, which is the teacher trainee, we demand that TTAG should not only be invited to share their position on policies but be an active member in the process that is being present in committees being formed.”
“In the area of partnership, we believe that no transformation is sustainable without partnership, and in that context, our educational system must and has always relied on partnerships. Partnership must be both strategic and symbolic.
“We are therefore going to intensify and deepen our collaboration with development partners such as UNAIDS, UNICEF, T-TEL, UNESCO, the World Bank, and other finance teacher educational institutions, both at home and abroad. We are also looking at including leadership training for principals and digital literacy for college tutors,” Dr Apaak stated.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana