The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (EduWatch), Kofi Asare, has called for a ban on multiple attempts at the teacher licensure exams in Ghana.
According to Asare, candidates who fail the exams once should not be allowed to take them again because they likely lack the necessary skills and knowledge to become effective teachers.
“If a prospective teacher cannot read and write good English on their first attempt at the exams, that person is probably not qualified,” Asare said in an interview on Joy FM.
SEE ALSO: Content Areas to Study for Your Licensure Examination (GTLE)
He emphasized that the exams assess not only academic skills but also literacy proficiency.
“Once you demonstrate the incapacity to read and write or demonstrate low proficiency in the English Language, that should be it. You cannot learn English in tertiary education, so that should be the end” he added.
Asare acknowledged that candidates who struggle with academics or specific subjects should be given a second chance.
However, he maintained that those who demonstrate a lack of basic literacy skills should be permanently barred from taking the exams.
He urged Ghanaians to embrace the teacher licensure exams, arguing that they will help improve teaching standards in both public and private schools.
“Our children are those who will stand to benefit from this initiative,” Asare said.
SEE ALSO: [DOWNLOAD]: Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination Past Papers
The teacher licensure exams were introduced in Ghana in 2018 as a requirement for all aspiring teachers. The exams cover subject content knowledge, pedagogy, and literacy skills.