The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been caught in a huge deception on what it intends doing to teachers after winning the 2020 elections.
The party, in its manifesto, says that it would reverse automatic postings of teachers without National Service and licensure exams certificates.
‘’The automatic posting of teachers without National Service and licensure exams will be reversed under the John Mahama Administration in 2021,’’ the NDC stated in its ‘People’s Manifesto.’
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The NDC’s position is confusing, as the party’s flagbearer has stated categorically that he will abolish the licensure examination for all those in the teaching profession if he is elected as President in the 2020 elections.
In a Facebook Live interaction in December 2019, former President Mahama said: ‘’I will cancel licensure exams for teachers,” explaining that what was needed was an improvement in the quality of teaching and examinations at the Colleges of Education.
In that same interaction, the NDC flagbearer said an NDC government under his leadership would rescale the skills training under Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
Immediately after that bold position, the leadership of the Ghana Trainee Teachers welcomed former President Mahama’s decision to cancel the licensure examination in 2021 if re-elected in the 2020 elections.
According to them, they believe that the examination was instituted purposely to frustrate the processes leading to their employment after school.
‘’We appreciate and consider President Mahama’s declaration on the cancellation of the Licensure as a huge relief to trainee teachers in Ghana, and pray his office consider restoring automatic posting of teachers when re-elected,’’ they said.
However, a group calling itself Teacher and Trainees Advocacy disagreed with the NDC flagbearer on the cancellation of the licensure which was introduced in the country’s educational reform.
The group argued any attempt to cancel the licensure exams for the teaching profession will truly undermine the profession.
There are accusations and counter-accusations between the NDC and New Patriotic Party (NPP) over promises in their manifestos and the revelation on NDC’s position on the teaching profession would hit the party hard as what is in the manifesto runs contrary to the flagbearer’s earlier position.