National Teaching Council Introduced New Reforms; Two New Subjects To Be Added.
NTC, , is the body mandated by the Constitution
to issue teaching license to qualified teachers in Ghana.This body has
introduced massive reforms in the examination modalities that are so important
that as a practicing or aspiring teacher we need to know about.
Every
successful candidate in the examination receives a professional teacher’s
license, which testifies to the entire world that the holder has met all the
standards for the profession.
The
examination since its inception in 2018 has aimed at identifying suitable
candidates who are qualified and worthy of the professional certificate.
The first
examination was conducted in 2018 and has been running since then. There are
two sittings for the exam in a year, and each exam consists of three papers,
Numeracy, Literacy and Essential Skills.
Even
though this exam was carried out smoothly, there is the need to evaluate it
against its original purpose, identify some of the emerging challenges and then
improve upon the performance of the whole policy.
The
regular purpose of the Council was to ensure that each qualified and licensed
teacher has the knowledge, values, attitudes and skills necessary to facilitate
learning.Their purpose is to improve the quality of teachers delivery and
student’s performance.
On this not, the NTC decided to implement new
reforms that will help improve the conduct of the examination and deal with the
current challenges and future challenges expected under the new reform.
The three papers, Numeracy, Literacy, and Essential
Skills will be put together in one paper called General Paper.
Two other papers will be
added. We have the Related Pedagogy and Teaching Subject Based paper.
The
pedagogy has to with the arts, the science and profession of teaching. It
examines the styles, feedback, assessments and the different methods of
teaching.
Teaching
Subject Based paper, will examine the proficiency of teachers in their areas of
specialization. Each of the subject or each of the specialization has its own
proficiency and this particular paper is to ensure that the teacher has the
proficiency in this particular specialization.
These
reforms are to take effect from March 2023.This means that the first edition of
the examination in 2023 will start with these new reforms.
It also
means that the last batch to write the Examination using the old curriculum
will be those candidates who will be sitting for the second edition of the exam
this year.
If you
are preparing for the exams this year, Continue preparing with the materials
that you have.
This is
their first major reform. But this particular reform is actually taking the
policy to a whole new dimension.
Additionally,
the examination is going to be computer based, it’s no more going to be a paper
based test and this is going to shift attention to technology.
And this
reform is also going to make sure that teachers are not mis-assigned. if a
teacher did not study study a subject, the teacher has the option to go and sit
and write in that specific area. Passing the subject based paper means you have
the requisite knowledge to teach it confidently.
So this
reform will give teachers the flexibility. If you feel you can handle a
particular subject, all you need to do is to sit and write and then NTC will
issue you with a license certifying that you can actually handle that
particular subject.
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