The National Executive Director of the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), Obenfo Nana Kwasi Gyetuah, has warned that teachers who do not have the required professional licence could face up to three years in jail under the Education Regulatory Act.
Speaking to Isaac Addae on Morning Starr on Starr FM, Obenfo Nana Kwasi Gyetuah said Section 87 of the Education Regulatory Act requires the National Teaching Council (NTC) to do away with teachers who are not professionally trained.
“You know the Education Regulatory Act, section 87, speaks about the fact that NTC should do away with all those who are not professional trained .”
He stressed that teaching without a licence is a criminal offence and could attract a prison sentence.
“And it is a criminal offense if you don’t have license to teach. it’s a criminal offense. You can be jailed for 3 years.”
However, Obenfo Nana Kwasi Gyetuah said the council recognises the role some of these teachers have played in supporting private schools and is therefore looking at ways to help them upgrade themselves rather than simply remove them from the sector.
“But these are the people who have been in this space for helping the private schools. That is why we recognize their effort. And as a council, we have to find out why they have not been able to upgrade themselves.”
He said the council identified challenges including the academic calendar used for distance education, which he said was designed primarily with public school teachers in mind, making it difficult for some private school teachers to adopt.
“We realize that one of the assumptions has to do with even the academic calendar was not favoring most of them. You know the distance education was designed purposely in the mind of public school teachers, and so there was a challenge for them to adopt that academic calendar.”
He added that financial difficulties have also prevented some private school teachers from upgrading their qualifications.
“And we also realize that financial issues were there. Because if you look at the average pay for a private school teacher, he cannot be able to pay those kind of university fees in terms of distance education.”
Obenfo Nana Kwasi Gyetuah said the council has therefore negotiated a training programme that would allow teachers to upgrade their qualifications at a reduced cost.
“Do you know that we’ve negotiated in such a way that you can do even your PGD, that’s Postgraduate Diploma in Education, by paying 5,000 Ghana Cedis for the entire program?”
He urged teachers who have not yet taken advantage of the opportunity to use the training platform to become professionally trained teachers.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Pamela Quayeson
