Association of Teacher Trainees in the three regions of the North has demanded for clear terms for the licensing of teachers.
The news of licensing started in 2017 after the National Teaching Council (NTC) of the Ministry of Education on August 15, announced that teachers will now have to pass a special examination before being granted a license to teach in Ghana.
According to NTC, issuance of licenses is to enforce discipline and eliminate non-performing teachers from the system, in accordance with the new Teachers Licensing Policy under the Education Act 778 (2008).
But at the 24th Annual General Assembly of the Association of Teachers Trainees in Colleges of Northern Sector (ATTRICONS) held in Gbewaa college of Education on April 25 on the Theme; The teacher education policy reform; PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES, the trainees led by Chimsa Jaburt Farouk, described the Teacher licensing initiative as A brouhaha that will awaken public outcry.
Mr. Farouk believes the initiative still lacks public education, because to them as trainees and even the general public, they cannot specify the term and conditions guiding the Teacher licensing initiative. The association has demanded that as potential teachers, there is a need for the National Teaching Council (NTC), National Accreditation Board (NAB) and National Council for Tertiary Education (NTCE) to come together and educate the general public on all the processes involved so as to guide teachers to prepare adequately for the entire licensing process.
At the conclusion of the 24th annual general assembly, the leadership of ATTRICONS came out with five different issues in their communiqué which includes, The Teacher Education Reform, Teacher Licensing, Fifty Percent SRC Dues Deduction by Northern PRINCONF, Utility Bills Paid by Level 300s Teachers Trainees and Notice to Trainees in the Northern Sector.
The ATTRICONS President, Chimsa Jaburt Farouk, also entreated all trainees in the northern sector to embrace their academic work seriously to avoid falling victims of failure and the withdrawal policy.
Dignitaries and teaching unions who graced the 24th annual general assembly included the Upper East Regional Coordinating Director, Alhaji Mahamadu Asibi Azonko who represented the Regional Minister as the guest of honour, the special guest of honour was the Divisional Chief of Pusiga, Naba Ibrahim Aguri and Mr Yariga David as the guest speaker. Present were representatives of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT), Heads of Schools and Directors of Education.
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