A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Manifesto Committee on Education, Dr Clement Apaak, has stated that the next NDC government led by John Mahama would eliminate the licensure examination for teacher trainees if elected into power in the December 7 elections.
Speaking on the party’s education policy, during the third edition of Adom TV’s Badwam Sectorial Debate held at the Accra Digital Center on Friday, Dr Apaak explained that, the licensure exams would be replaced with a final-year course and assessments.
This, he stated is to better prepare teacher trainees for their careers.
Additionally, he said teacher trainees will be posted immediately after completion of their studies without the need to undergo national service.
“The next Mahama administration will cancel the licensure examination for Teacher Trainee graduates and post teachers immediately after completion without requiring national service. We will replace the licensure exams with a course that the teacher trainees will take in their final year and assessments going forward,” he said.
Dr. Apaak also explained the NDC’s plan to absorb the academic user fees for all first-year public tertiary students.
He noted that once the GETFund is decapped and refocused on its original mandate of building educational infrastructure, the Student Loan Trust will receive increased funding to support students from their second year onward.
“We propose that all first-year public tertiary students have their academic user fees absorbed. After the first year, once the GetFund has been decapped, it will accumulate all the money and provide the Student Loan Trust with a reasonable amount so that students can apply for the loan to continue their education from the second year onward.
“This policy aims to address the initial barrier to admission. Decapping GetFund and redirecting its focus to its original mandate, which is the construction of educational infrastructure.”
In terms of tertiary education reforms, the NDC proposes to scrap the quota system for admissions into nursing and teacher training colleges, thereby increasing enrollment.
The party also plans to partner with the private sector to expand residential facilities and build six new universities in Ghana’s six newly created regions.
Source: Faridatu Seidu
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