Dr. Peter Partey-Anti outlines the need for top-quality personnel in the teaching profession

Following the alarming mass failure of over 80% of trainee teachers in this year’s licensure examination, Dr. Peter Partey-Anti, the Executive Director of the Institute for Educational Studies, emphasized the importance of attracting the best personnel to the teaching profession.

Dr. Partey-Anti expressed his views during an interview on TV3’s Ghana Tonight with Alfred Ocansey on June 20, 2023. He stressed that teachers play a crucial role in imparting knowledge to students, and therefore, the teaching profession should attract top-notch human resources.

Acknowledging the efforts of the Colleges of Education in Ghana, Dr. Partey-Anti commended their 65% performance since the inception of the licensure exam. He encouraged these institutions to continue their good work in preparing future educators.

In response to the criticism directed towards the Colleges of Education for producing substandard personnel and the students for their perceived lack of diligence, Dr. Partey-Anti provided insight into the high failure rate.

He clarified that the recent licensure examination included candidates who had previously failed the exam, some having attempted it up to eight times. These individuals were required to re-sit the exam in their pursuit of becoming teachers.

Dr. Partey-Anti explained the significance of the teacher licensure exam as a mechanism to filter out candidates who may not meet the necessary standards. He highlighted a new law that mandates individuals to sit for the exam after completing their teacher training programs.

Merely completing training no longer automatically qualifies one as a teacher. Instead, passing the licensure exam grants candidates a provisional license valid for one year. This provisional license serves as an assessment period before a permanent license is granted.

SOURCE: Coverghana.com.gh