NTC Seeks Extension for Teacher Licensure Exam Phase-Out Amid Major Reforms

The National Teaching Council (NTC) has indicated plans to request an extension from the Ministry of Education for phasing out the current teacher licensure examination. This move aims to accommodate the final batch of teacher trainees who may not pass the recently held examination — the last under the existing system.

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has directed the NTC to ensure that by the end of August 2025, the traditional licensure exam is scrapped and integrated into the training college curriculum. The change is intended to reduce the burden on teacher trainees and improve pass rates.

Board Chairman of the NTC, Kwame Alovi, explained that integrating the exam into the curriculum would better prepare teacher trainees, enhance their practical skills, and reduce the high failure rates that have plagued the exam in recent years. In 2023 alone, 8,000 out of 20,000 candidates failed, while 44,000 out of 120,000 failed in 2022.

Many teacher trainees have long expressed frustration with writing the licensure exam after graduation, citing the emotional stress, additional cost, and lack of academic support as major obstacles. The debate around the exam has drawn national attention and political interest. The NDC’s last manifesto proposed abolishing the exam entirely, but a stakeholder committee instead recommended incorporating it into final college examinations.

“The main reform,” Mr. Alovi noted, “is that instead of writing the exam after National Service, students will write it as part of their final exams before leaving school.” He also emphasized the importance of including practical assessments to address previous gaps.

Teacher unions, however, maintain that eliminating the licensure exam outright may not be the best approach. GNAT General Secretary, Thomas Tanko Musah, called for clearly defined modalities, while NAGRAT President, Angel Carbonu, reiterated the exam’s value, suggesting that licensure content be embedded into the curriculum and the license renewed annually.

The current situation involves three categories of unlicensed teachers — repeat candidates, recent National Service graduates, and fresh university graduates — all of whom must be given an opportunity to write the licensure exam before the new system takes full effect.

As the NTC, Ministry of Education, and teacher unions continue to engage in discussions, the future of the licensure exam remains uncertain. However, stakeholders agree that comprehensive reform is necessary to ensure fairness, enhance teacher quality, and reduce systemic burdens on Ghana’s aspiring educators.