The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has exposed the double standards of the running mate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the teacher licensure exams.
Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang announced during the NDC’s manifesto launch of the party’s plans to abolish the licensure examination for graduate teachers if given the mandate after the December 7 general elections.
The move, according to Opoku Agyemang, would ensure that quality educational system was achieved in the country.
But addressing a press conference today on education, the NPP’s Director of Communication, Yaw Buaben Asamoa, called out the former Education Minister for being disingenuous regarding the licensure exams.
“True to its flip-flopping, wishy-washy, ‘obey the wind’ campaign style, the NDC has promised to cancel licensure exams, a policy they started,” Buaben Asamoa said.
He continued: “Anything the NDC started in Government that the NPP is trying to improve, they have threatened to cancel. Everything they could not do, they are pretending they can now do. No wonder they have moved from policy to empty threats and increasingly outrageous propaganda.”
According to the NPP’s Director of Communications, as Education Minister, the licensure exam was piloted and commenced under the supervision of Opoku Agyemang.
“In fact, on the 21st of September, 2016, the front page of The Graphic was emboldened with the headline “NEW TEACHER LICENSING STARTS FROM 2016/17 ACADEMIC YEAR.
“The same running mate is now singing their cancellation song,” Buaben Asamoa said.
Background to the teacher licensure exam
Licensure of teachers was introduced by the Education Act, 2008 (Act 778), which established the National Teaching Council (NTC) to be responsible for licensing teachers and reserved the requirements of licensure at the discretion of the NTC.
The first Acting Executive Secretary of the NTC, Anthony Boateng, was appointed by the late Prof. Mills in 2010.
Mahama appointed the next Executive Secretary of the NTC, Augustine Tawiah in 2014. Tawiah served as Executive Secretary until he was elected to Parliament in 2017, to represent the people of Bia West.
It was during the tenure of Tawiah that the licensure exams were piloted in collaboration with teacher unions in 5 districts, namely, Savelugu Municipality, Shai Osudoku District, Upper Manya Krobo District, Ajumako Enyan Essiam District, and Kassena Nankana District.
The outcome of the pilot was as follows: (a) license exams for new graduates, (b) Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and portfolio for two yearly license renewal for in-service teachers, and (c) a track for school leaders and another track for classroom teachers.
The pilot and licensure exams was supported by JICA, the Japanese aid agency.
“The NDC cannot be trusted to stand for anything. They do not believe in policy and its sustainability. All they want is the power to ‘create, loot and share’” said warned Buaben Asamoa.
