More than 100,000 non-professional teachers risk removal from classrooms – NTCThe National Teaching Council (NTC) has signalled a tougher regulatory approach to teacher professionalisation, warning that over 100,000 individuals currently teaching without the requisite qualifications and licences may eventually be barred from the classroom.
The council expressed concern that the continued engagement of non-professional teachers, particularly within basic and private schools, poses a significant challenge to the delivery of quality education, with rural communities remaining the most affected.
Compliance exercise
Speaking at a special matriculation ceremony for newly admitted students of the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programme at the Catholic University of Ghana (CUG), the Director of Teacher Licensing at the National Teaching Council, Francis Addae, disclosed that a recent compliance exercise in second-cycle institutions identified approximately 12,279 graduate teachers who lacked the professional certification required for licensing.
He stressed that teachers who fail to obtain the necessary professional qualifications risk losing the legal authority to remain in the teaching profession.
“The time will come when you may not be allowed to teach,” he stated.
Mr Addae explained that the PGDE programme forms part of ongoing initiatives aimed at enabling non-professional teachers to acquire recognised teaching qualifications and meet licensing requirements.
Although more than 12,000 non-professional graduate teachers have been identified at the senior high school level, he revealed that only about 1,421 are currently enrolled in the programme nationwide.
He therefore encouraged eligible teachers to take advantage of the initiative while urging participants to encourage their colleagues to join future cohorts expected later this year.
The Teacher Licensing Director further indicated that the programme had been substantially subsidised, reducing tuition fees from between GH¢8,000 and GH¢9,000 to GH¢5,000, with flexible payment arrangements available.
He added that female teachers aged 35 years and below would benefit from financial support under the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP).
Upgrade initiative
The Vice-Chancellor of the Catholic University of Ghana, Professor Matthew Glover Addo, underscored the importance of professional development among non-professional teachers, particularly those serving in rural communities.
According to him, the education system is changing and now requires teachers to go beyond subject knowledge. They are expected to develop strong teaching methods, classroom management abilities, knowledge in educational psychology, and proper assessment skills, while also maintaining professional ethics.
He explained that the upgrade initiative is designed to help non-professional teachers improve and upgrade themselves, especially those working in rural communities where access to professional development opportunities is often limited. The goal is to ensure that teachers build their capacity, strengthen their competence, and meet the required professional standards needed for effective classroom practice.
Prof. Addo further noted that the programme was introduced in line with Section 67(1) of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), which prohibits individuals from practising as teachers unless they are duly registered as professional teachers.
He added that the initiative also seeks to strengthen the supply of professionally trained teachers in rural communities where staffing challenges persist.
The Vice-Chancellor disclosed that out of 341 candidates presented by the NTC for admission under the programme, 75 successfully enrolled.
Acceptance of rural postings
Prof. Addo commended the matriculants for accepting postings to rural communities despite the general reluctance among many trained teachers to accept postings to such areas.
He urged them to demonstrate discipline, dedication, academic excellence and professionalism throughout their studies.
Describing teaching as a vocation of national significance, he said the profession remains central to shaping future generations and advancing national development.