The Ministry of Education has issued a directive to the National Teaching Council (NTC) to abolish the Teacher Licensure Examination by August 30, 2025, marking a significant shift in Ghana’s teacher certification policy.
This directive, communicated on Monday, follows mounting concerns from teacher trainee associations, education stakeholders, and Members of Parliament who have long argued that the licensure exams were burdensome and redundant. Critics of the exams say it imposed an unnecessary barrier for trained teachers who had already completed rigorous coursework and practicum sessions at accredited colleges of education.
According to sources close to the ministry, the directive emphasizes that alternative methods of teacher assessment should be developed, focusing more on practical classroom readiness, mentorship, and professional development frameworks.
Policy Shift Aims to Streamline Teacher Certification and Reduce Barriers
The scrapping of the licensure exams is being positioned as part of broader reforms aimed at streamlining the teacher certification process while maintaining professional standards. Education Minister Hon. Haruna Iddrisu is said to have reviewed several proposals before approving the new directive, which now tasks the NTC with implementing an exit strategy for the exam system by the deadline.
With this change, teacher trainees currently in the system may no longer need to sit for the exams as a prerequisite for classroom placement, pending final guidelines from the NTC. The move has been welcomed by several education unions and student groups who see it as a win for equitable access to the teaching profession.
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