Dr. Christian Addai-Poku, the Registrar of the National Teaching Council (NTC) is urging all non-professional teachers to upgrade by December 2024.
Approximately 30,000 non-professional teachers in pre-tertiary institutions now have the opportunity to formalize their teaching status by the end of the year.
Through a collaborative effort between the National Teaching Council (NTC) and the Ghana Education Service (GES), these teachers, including both bachelor’s degree and non-bachelor’s degree holders hired before the introduction of the licensure regime in 2018, have until December to secure the necessary teaching registration and licensing.
Under the arrangement, degree holders are required to enroll in a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) program at an accredited teacher education university. Successful completion of this program will lead to the issuance of a teachers’ registration and license.
“This accelerated program will span 16 weeks and is exclusively designed for teachers employed before September 30, 2018.”
For other categories of untrained teachers, a one-week Boot Camp training at designated institutions is mandatory. Upon successful completion, they will receive permanent registration.
This training is also exclusive to those employed before September 30, 2018,” stated Dr. Christian Addai-Poku, Registrar of the NTC, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra.
Associated Universities
The NTC has initiated discussions with four universities — the University of Cape Coast (UCC), University of Education, Winneba (UEW), University for Development Studies (UDS), and Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED).
Dr. Addai-Poku anticipates finalizing these engagements by August 2024, with affected teachers enrolled shortly after.
In July 2022, the council granted a special exemption to in-service non-professional teachers employed before September 2018, allowing them to obtain full licensure within two years after achieving professional status.
This exemption period will end by December 2024.
The Assurance
Dr. Addai-Poku assured participants in both programs that they would not need to sit for the licensure examination, given that it forms part of transitional arrangements for those employed by GES pre-2018.
Highlighting the compliance checks conducted across senior high schools in six regions, Dr. Addai-Poku noted that 7,100 teachers lack the requisite credentials. As per transitional arrangements, these teachers must acquire the necessary qualifications for permanent registration and licensing.
Under section 67(1) of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act (2020), Act 1023, which mandates teacher registration for practice, immediate action is necessary to ensure compliance.
“In light of the above, the Council plans to implement special measures to register and license all in-service non-professional teachers nationwide,” stated Dr. Addai-Poku. He urged affected teachers to take advantage of this opportunity to formalize their teaching status by year-end.
He emphasized that those who fail to avail themselves of this opportunity by December 2024, even after upgrading, will be required to sit for the licensure examination.
Source: Graphiconline.com