Ellen Ama Daaku, a communications team member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has questioned President John Dramani Mahama’s campaign pledge to cancel teacher licensure exams, urging the government to either fulfil the promise or clearly state its position.
Speaking on Asaase Radio’s programme over the weekend, Daaku said she was surprised the proposal was made in the first place, arguing that certification is essential to maintaining professional standards.
Disservice
She also raised concerns about whether sufficient consultation informed the policy, pointing to the role of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto committee.
“I am still surprised why President Mahama thought cancelling licensure exams for teachers was a good idea. What profession does not require certification?” she said.
“I don’t know who advised him… I just think the NDC manifesto committee did not do President Mahama any good,” she added.
Daaku maintained that teachers, like all professionals, must be certified before entering the classroom.
“The people we entrust with our children’s education should not go through the system without certification,” she said.
Honour promise
She further called on the administration to honour its campaign commitment if it intends to maintain credibility.
“After taking over, you realise that teachers cannot simply practise without certification… now you are trying to backtrack,” she said.
“He has to cancel it—it is his promise. Otherwise, those he made that promise to are waiting,” she added.
Her remarks come amid ongoing debate over teacher licensure exams in Ghana, with the government signalling reforms rather than a complete abolition of the system.
In 2023, Mahama—then former President and NDC flagbearer—pledged to abolish the teacher licensure examination if elected in the 2024 polls. He criticised the policy as poorly conceived, questioning why graduates of Colleges of Education should be required to sit an additional exam before practising.
The National Teaching Council (NTC), an agency under the Ministry of Education, introduced the Teacher Licensure Examination in 2018 to license teachers for public pre-tertiary schools. According to the Council, the exam ensures that qualified teachers obtain a professional licence to practise.
However, speaking at a town hall meeting in Wenchi in the Bono Region, Mahama reiterated his stance: “This is unnecessary. In our next administration, we will cancel the licensure exams.”
He added that alternative measures would be implemented to ensure graduates of Colleges of Education qualify as professionals upon completion of their training. He emphasised that the proposal reflects his commitment to teachers and has been consistently captured in his manifesto.
Mahama made these remarks during his “Building Ghana Tour” ahead of the 2024 general elections—a nationwide campaign featuring town hall meetings, community outreach, and stakeholder engagements, aimed at promoting citizen participation and shaping Ghana’s development agenda.
