John Mahama vows to scrap teacher licensure exams, review Free SHS policy
John Dramani Mahama, former President and flagbearer of the NDC
The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has promised to abolish the teacher licensure exams if he is re-elected as President in the 2024 general elections.
Speaking at a meeting with teacher unions, including the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Coalition of Concerned Teachers-Ghana (CCT-GH), and the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU), at the NAGRAT Lyceum in Accra, Mr. Mahama labeled the certification program as unnecessary, highlighting that teachers are already rigorously examined throughout their training phases.
In his dialogue with the teachers’ unions of the Greater Accra Region, Mr. Mahama was emphatic about his intention to scrap the licensure exams, echoing a commitment he had made previously.
Besides the licensure exams, Mr. Mahama addressed the need to refine the free Senior High School (SHS) policy to ensure it delivers quality education.
He acknowledged the policy’s benefits but pointed out the implementation hurdles that need to be overcome to maintain educational standards.
He assured the teachers that his administration would collaborate with all stakeholders to formulate comprehensive educational policies.
Moreover, Mr. Mahama discussed plans to collaborate with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and teacher unions to introduce incentive packages for educators working in underprivileged areas and to establish a bursary system to support students from deprived backgrounds.
He also advocated for the inclusion of private SHSs with the requisite infrastructure in the free SHS policy to help alleviate some of the current pressures and improve the quality of education across the board.
For his part, the National President of NAGRAT, Eric Angel Carbonu, called on the flagbearer to also consider measures that will motivate teachers in deprived areas to address the teacher deployment challenges in the country.
To him, the deployment is bedeviled with a high concentration of political and other considerations leading to the unequal deployment of teachers, which hampers equal educational standards in deprived areas.
SOURCE: Coverghana.com.gh
