Opposing the Teacher Licensure Exams: Advocate Urges Overhaul of Education System Instead of Introducing New Layers – Prof Gyampo

In the realm of educational reform, the proposal to cancel the Teacher Licensure Exams has sparked a lively debate, with opinions diverging on the most effective way to enhance the quality of teacher training in the country. While my esteemed friend Franklyn Cudjoe of IMANI supports the cancellation, I respectfully disagree. Instead, I advocate for an internal overhaul of the existing structures, specifically focusing on the curriculum and Training College exams.

The crux of the matter lies in our tendency to seek new solutions for longstanding problems, often neglecting the potential of existing structures that can be revitalized. It’s akin to the recurrent scenario in our sports sector, where we consistently bring in foreign coaches for the Black Stars without addressing the inherent issues within our local systems. Similarly, the establishment of a seemingly redundant office of Special Prosecutor, rather than strengthening the prosecutorial powers of the Attorney General, exemplifies our penchant for creating new entities instead of optimizing existing ones.

In the realm of education, the call for canceling the Teacher Licensure Exams may seem like a shortcut to address deficiencies in the training of teachers. However, the more sustainable approach is a comprehensive review of the curriculum and Training College exams. By identifying and rectifying these deficiencies, we can ensure that teachers are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge.

Drawing parallels to our constitutional framework, Ghana’s 1992 Constitution is extensive, covering a wide array of aspects in our lives. Yet, we often witness the inclination to enact new laws instead of fully utilizing the existing legal structures. This pattern repeats in various sectors, including the inclination to construct a National Cathedral despite the prevalence of numerous grand churches across the nation.

The crux of the matter is that the solutions to our challenges are not elusive; rather, they are often overshadowed by the allure of new and seemingly innovative approaches. Instead of succumbing to the temptation of creating “useless new solutions,” we must critically examine and maximize the potential of our existing structures. Whether it’s education, governance, or infrastructure, a thorough overhaul of the systems already in place may hold the key to unlocking solutions to our persistent challenges.

Full statement of Prof Yaw Gyampo

I respectfully disagree with my good friend Franklyn Cudjoe of IMANI, and support the proposal to cancel the Teacher Licensure Exams. Clearly, the type of education that train Teachers is faulty and must be fixed. But this can be internally done. The way to go is not to introduce another layer of exam. On the contrary we must review the curriculum and Training College exams for the purposes of addressing their identified deficiencies.

We are fond of creating new structures to deal with old problems that can be dealt with, by overhauled existing structures. Even when we have the opportunity to overhaul existing structures to make them work, we would want to easily develop “useless new solutions” that do not solve problems.

That’s how come we are always looking for new foreign coaches for the Black Stars, even though we know that the problems are within, and that, a serious overhaul of existing structures with a view to ensuring that our real talents and not “bribed talents”get to play, would revolutionarize football in Ghana. Again, that’s how come we have gone to create a highly incompetent “eye service” office of Special Prosecutor, instead of overhauling the prosecutorial powers of the Attorney General to ensure that it is effective in prosecuting all, regardless of partisan coloration.

Ghana’s 1992 Constitution is more voluminous than the US Constitution. It has provisions that deals virtually with all aspects of our lives. But we are always looking for new laws to solve problems. The whole nation is 75 percent “churchical” and we have huge Cathedrals almost everywhere in the country. But we still want to build a National Cathedral to solve some “manufactured problems”.

The solution to the problems we face as a country are known. We need not, for very crude and sometimes corrupt reasons, create new “useless solutions” when we haven’t interrogated and fully made use of the existing structures that have better potency to deal with our challenges.

Yaw Gyampo
A31, Prabiw
PAV Ansah Street
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&
Suro Nipa House
Behind Old Post Office
Larteh-Akuapim