Towards Improving the Quality of Basic Education in Ghana, Teacher Licensure and Matters Arising, Challenges, and the Way Forward

The National Teaching Council of Ghana has been mandated to ensure that aside possessing the requisite academic and professional certificate to practice as a teacher, one needs to be successful in a licensure examination before he or she could have his or her documents processed for a teaching appointment. This study specifically sought to establish what teachers’ perceptions were regarding teacher licensure examination as a means to achieving teacher quality and improved student performance. The study found that teacher licensure examination was a good idea by government, as it would in no small measure contribute to the recognition of the teaching profession. However, the entire process required re-structuring. The restructuring process must begin with a wider stakeholder consultation and engagement. Also, there was the urgent need to develop pragmatic policies as guidelines to the entire licensing process, right from registration, content of the examinations, administration of the examinations, scoring, publication of results, issuance of the license, and renewal of license among others. Yet still, there was the firm belief that when the licensure examinations were incorporated into the initial teacher education curriculum, there would not be so much agitation, and potential teachers would write without any apprehension.