NTC, GES, 5 universities sign MoU to implement PGDE programme
The National Teaching Council (NTC), the Ghana Education Service (GES) and five tertiary institutions have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to implement a special Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programme aimed at helping non-professional teachers to acquire the qualification required to become fully licensed teachers.
The tertiary institutions supporting the programme are the University of Cape Coast (UCC), the University for Development Studies (UDS), the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), the Catholic University of Ghana, and the University for Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (USTED).
The NTC last month disclosed that more than 42,000 teachers across basic and senior high schools lacked professional teaching qualifications, with about 12,279 unqualified teachers in senior high schools and more than 30,000 in basic schools.
The programme was, therefore, developed with support from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and Transforming Teaching, Education and Learning (T-TEL) to help such teachers obtain professional certification.
MoU
At a signing ceremony in Accra on Wednesday, June 10, the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, said the initiative was in line with the provisions of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), which made teacher registration and licensing a mandatory requirement for professional practice in the country.
He said the programme recognised the important role many non-professional teachers played in supporting the education system, particularly during periods where the country faced a shortage of trained teachers.
“This initiative aligns with provisions of the Education Regulatory Act of 2020, Act 1023, which mandates teacher registration and licensing as a requirement for professional practice in Ghana. Licensing could only be granted to individuals who met the required professional competencies,” he stated.
Effective teaching
Mr Iddrisu said although the country had produced many trained teachers over the years, it was important to create opportunities for those already serving in classrooms to acquire the professional knowledge, skills, values and competencies required for effective teaching.
He said it would be a major setback to the education sector if such teachers were removed from the system despite the experience and competencies they had gained over the years.
He expressed appreciation to the participating universities for partnering the NTC and GES to implement the programme, reiterating the government’s commitment to continue investing in teacher development through continuous professional development programmes, teacher licensing reforms and curriculum transformation.
Housing Initiative
The minister also announced at the ceremony that the government would soon roll out the Teacher Dabre Housing initiative to provide 50,000 housing units for teachers nationwide.
He said the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund was leading the implementation effort, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, to ensure that district assemblies played a central role in the housing project.
He commended the Registrar of the NTC, Dr Christian Addai-Poku, for his leadership in advancing teacher professionalisation and expressed gratitude to T-TEL for its support towards the successful implementation of the programme.
PGDE
Dr Addai-Poku reiterated that the programme was crucial for equipping and licensing non-professional teachers to continue supporting teaching in the country.
He said many teachers lacked formal training in pedagogy, assessment, and classroom management, which affected learner outcomes, adding that the PGDE programme was designed to address this.
He urged affected teachers to take advantage of the initiative and also encourage their colleagues to enrol onto the programme.
