The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has reaffirmed its commitment to cancelling the licensure examination introduced by the National Teaching Council under the current Nana Akufo-Addo administration.
According to the party’s flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, the NDC’s position is based on the fact that the assessment of newly-trained teachers from Colleges of Education cannot be based on a six-hour paper examination. “The NDC’s position is that it does not take a 6-hour paper and pencil examination,” he emphasized.
Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, the running mate for Mahama’s 2024 presidential bid, presented the party’s position at the presidential policy lecture organized by the Graduate Students’ Association of Ghana (GRASAG) in Cape Coast.
Mahama explained that the party seeks to transform the entire process into a quality assurance mechanism, rather than a sit-down examination. “As a party, we find the current mode of licensure examination as an affront to the Colleges of Education,” he stated.
The former President also addressed the teacher training allowance, clarifying that his administration did not cancel the allowance, but rather provided teacher trainees with the option to take a student loan or receive the teacher training allowance.
Additionally, Mahama touched on the National Research Fund, emphasizing that its purpose is not to scrap the book and research allowance but to provide researchers, including young lecturers, research fellows, and graduate students, with access to adequate research funding opportunities.
The NDC has pledged to introduce a financial support scheme aimed at reducing the financial burden on students and has urged GRASAG executives to explore ways to enhance students’ academic support and services.
GRASAG President Emmanuel Owusu emphasized the association’s commitment to becoming a strategic development partner, collaborating with government, political parties, CSOs, and other stakeholders to implement policies that uplift the youth and propel the nation forward.
