The running mate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has raised concerns over the licensure exams for teachers and questioned the significance of the exams for teachers and how it contributes to their professionalism.
She raised the question of whether the exams is necessary, considering that teachers already undergo four years of training and called for a deeper examination of the content and purpose of the licensure exams.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang, raised the concerns when she engaged with Teacher Unions in Accra, where she addressed various pressing issues in the education sector including teacher licensure exams, sanitation for girls, administration in education, and teacher deployment.
The Unions, include the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT).
The engagement was to solicit information and views from the Teacher Unions to influence the Party’s 2024 manifesto.
During the meeting, Professor Opoku-Agyemang, inquired about the purpose and significance of teacher licensure exams and sought clarification on what the licensure exams add to the teaching profession and whether it is a comparative term.
She emphasized the need to understand the profession to better support teachers questioned the necessity to conform to the standards set by other professions and stressed the importance of identifying any gaps in the four-year training of teachers.
Furthermore, Professor Opoku-Agyemag underscored the need to prioritize the provision of sanitary products to all girls, irrespective of their family’s financial status. Suggesting means testing and targeted distribution, she emphasized the importance of ensuring that resources reach those who require them the most.
Another concern raised by the running mate was the cap and collateralization of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETfund). Expressing her confusion, she questioned how the cap on the fund had been collateralized, as it was initially established for the benefit of students and suggested that any changes made to the fund’s board should be investigated.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang, expressed her satisfaction with the attention being given to the language issue in education, pointing out the need to provide support for teachers in this regard and acknowledged that language training requires time but stated that it is crucial to ensure effective instruction for students.
Regarding administration in education, Professor Opoku-Agyemang who was a Minister of Education addressed the maintenance of equipment and furniture in schools, she expressed concern about the accumulation of unused furniture and stressed the importance of timely repairs to extend their lifespan. She cited examples of simple fixes like nails or tightening screws to prevent further damage.
Passionate about the integration of skills and knowledge, Professor Opoku-Agyemang, expressed her belief that a person’s skills should accompany their acquisition of knowledge and cautioned against excessive specialization at the secondary level and likened it to potential dangers she,, therefore encouraged the teacher unions to voice their concerns on this matter more forcefully.
Touching on teacher deployment and associated allowances, she questioned the adequacy of allowances for teachers serving in areas without basic amenities such as water, she advocated for an improved quality of life and called for collaborative efforts to support teachers in deprived areas.
The President of NAGRAT, Angel Carbonu, who spoke on behalf of the Unions, said as unions they are not going to accept any promise from Presidential candidates, if those promises are not embedded in their manifestos.
“The time has come where we stop making flowery promises on the spur of the moment moved by the excitement and jubilation of the crowd, and we feel that those types of platform promises were what have brought us to where we find ourselves today.
“We believe that whatever promise any politician will make going forward, for the promise to be taken seriously by the people of this country, should find expression in the manifesto of the various political parties,” he stressed.
He stated that the Teacher Unions had developed a document which contained policies and programmes, as well as their demands of the next government and urged the political parties to consult the document and embed the demands in their manifestos.
Mr Carbonu, also pleaded with the NDC and former President Mahama when he gets the nod, he should restore the image of the teaching profession to attract only committed persons into the field.
