Teachers in training who failed their licencing examinations lacked dedication, according to a teacher assessment consultant

Professor Jonathan Fletcher, an expert in teacher professional development and an assessment consultant, claims that trainee teachers who failed their licencing examinations had a commitment to teaching and shouldn’t have been there to begin with.

He claims that simply having the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) scores, which in his opinion are general, is insufficient for admission to training schools.

He said that since many individuals enrol in teacher training as a last resort, there must be some fundamental admittance requirements, such as interviews or entrance examinations, to assure commitment.

“Many individuals who complete the teacher training programme view teaching as a last choice and a stepping stone, thus they lack the dedication to give back. I don’t believe there is dedication because, he emphasised, “I don’t believe we would see the kinds of outcomes we are.

In Ghana, the method that we train teachers is being tested by a variety of factors, according to Prof. Fletcher on the 3FM Sunrise Morning Show. The intended quality cannot be attained due to numbers in the first place since it takes a lot of time to produce anything of high quality.

“In the first place, there are difficulties with teacher training; as a result, I wouldn’t argue that everybody who has completed a programme are completely ready for the job. People must learn on the job, and the first step is to ensure that those who will really perform the task have the dedication and are ready, the expert advised.

The consultant claims that the system makes it challenging to evaluate all of the instructors, so it’s important to find a means to make sure they are well-prepared before they enter the classroom. As a result, the consultant claims that there is nothing wrong with the licensure examinations because they will benefit everyone.

We must ask ourselves a lot of questions. First, we need to determine whether teaching is a profession or if it is, whether teachers will need to go through a procedure or a type of assessment before they can practise their craft. We also need to determine whether the type of training teachers receive in teacher education institutions is sufficient to support them in delivering their various curriculum’, Prof Fletcher said on Johnnie Hughes on 3FM Sunrise.

“Since licencing tests are required for professionals in the fields of law, medicine, and nursing, I don’t have any difficulties. It occurs in several organisations and fields of work. I believe that it is crucial for us to safeguard our kids who will be educated by instructors, he said.

According to Dr. Christian Addai-Poku, Registrar of the Ghana Teacher licencing Examination (GTLE), more than 6000 out of 7,728 teachers failed the licencing exam last month.