Head of Professional Development of Teachers at the National Teaching Council (NTC), Lawrence Sarpong, has made clarifications about his outfit’s alleged directive for private schools across the country to only recruit licensed teachers effective May 2021.
The directive is said to have also required current teachers in these schools to also get their licence if they want to continue teaching.
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“NTC has not come out to say that unlicensed private school teachers will be relieved of their duty. It is clearly a misinterpretation”.
Speaking to Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show, he explained that the communique released by NTC was to inform all teachers to begin processes in acquring their teachers’ licence, an exercise taking full effect from May 2021.
The communique, however, gave no specifications as to the category of teachers to be licensed.
He declared, “The communique was directed at all teachers to have their details sent to the registration portal. There wasn’t any specification. However, the National School Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA) released a statement encouraging all private teachers to get registered in order to acquire their licences as well.”
He furthered that deliberations are ongoing between NTC and the Private Teachers Association to strategise on measures in developing private school education
“We have even met with the leadership of the Private Teachers Association to strategise ways and means to upgrade private school education”, he revealed.
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He, however, commended members of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools for expressing their dissatisfaction over the release, but thought it best to seek for clarification from the NTC.
The National Teaching Council is mandated by Education Regulators’ Body Act 2020 (ACT 1023) to improve professional standing and status of teachers and to ensure licensing and registration of teachers in Ghana.
The purpose of the Licensing Examination is to enable qualified teachers acquire a professional licence and prepare teachers to meet the demands of the National Teachers’ Standards of possessing the minimum knowledge, skills, values and attitudes necessary to deliver effectively in schools.
By Belinda Baaba Baidoo
