National Teaching Council to Roll out In-Service Teachers License Soon

The National Teaching Council (NTC) sensitized In-Service teachers on teacher professionalism at St. Marys Senior High School on Wednesday 23rd of October, 2019. The team from NTC led by the Executive Secretary, Mr. Christian Addai-Poku took the participants through the National Teachers Standards (NTS), Licensing Process for In-Service Teachers and Continuous Professional Development (CPD).

NTC is an agency mandated by the Education Act, 2008 (Act 778) to license and register teachers as well as develop and periodically review professional standards and code of ethics. NTC’s vision is to be a beacon providing the standards guiding teacher preparation and practice and to promote world-class teaching and learning.

The National Teachers’ Standards represent the first-ever collectively agreed standards to guide teacher preparation and practice in the country. Standards have been developed as a professional tool to guide teacher education and training. They are codified and documented materials that present what teachers should know, value and do.

Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for Teachers the means by which teachers are required to maintain and enhance their knowledge, skills, and experiences gained as they work, beyond their initial teacher training. It is a record of what teachers experience, learn and apply. CPD activities include the building of portfolios, in-service training and mentoring.

Thus, CPD will involve training and education programs organized within or outside the school environment which NTC approves as being relevant to the teaching profession and meet prescribed standards. The rationale behind CPD is to provide guidance for teachers to continue to improve their competencies to maintain the integrity of the teaching profession.

As part of the licensing process, In-Service teachers will be licensed and re-registered without participating in the Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination (GTLE). In-Service Teachers in this context refers to teachers who have been employed before September 2018 and successfully completed professional training. They are to log on to www.ntc.gov.gh and upload some required details, the portal will be opened upon publication in the dailies. In-Service Teachers will pay an amount of GHC 200 to secure an initial license and GHC 100 for renewal every two years. Teacher Professional License once issued is valid for 2 years.

It is an offense to recruit a teacher who has no license or keep in your school a teacher whose license has expired or for a person to practice as a teacher when not in good standing.

The Headmistress of St. Marys Senior High School, Madam Grace Mansa Eshun showed appreciation to the National Teaching Council officials for such education and admonished NTC to undertake such sensitization on regular basis to keep the teachers abreast of the ongoing reforms.

She further stated that teacher professionalization has been long overdue and that teachers should embrace it in order that Ghanaian teachers will go by the new standards which will make them accepted globally.

On his part, Mr. Eric Carbonu, President of NAGRAT expressed concern about the amount to be charged for the license. He assured the teachers that teacher unions will take up the matter with their employer, the Ghana Education Service to ensure that the GES pays for their employees or at least heavily subsidize to make it affordable to teachers.