The Ashanti Regional branch of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) has expressed concern over the inclusion of teachers from private schools in the implementation of the teacher licensing law.
The association believes that extending the enforcement of the teacher licensing law to cover private school teachers will result in the closure of schools. Therefore, they are calling on the National Teaching Council (NTC) to exempt private schools from this requirement.
During a conference held in Kumasi, the Acting President of the association, Philip Boakye Yiadom, emphasized that many private school teachers are Senior High School (SHS) graduates who may not have the necessary resources to undergo the training required to obtain a teaching license. Requiring them to obtain a license would be in violation of the Teacher Licensing law.
“If I cannot support my teachers who cannot afford the license application, it means that I would have to let them leave my school just to avoid prosecution by the NTC,” he stated.
Yiadom explained that some of these SHS graduates take up teaching positions in private schools to earn money for their tertiary education and can resign or leave the school at any time without notifying the school owners, even if they possess a license.
Yiadom emphasized that enforcing the law for private schools would severely impact the private school sector. “The implementation of this law will destroy private schools because if a school owner cannot find a licensed teacher, they will be forced to close down their school due to the fear of prosecution,” he said.
However, he acknowledged that the law could be applicable to teachers in public schools since they are permanent employees and receive higher salaries compared to their counterparts in private schools.
The Ashanti Regional Director of the National Teaching Council (NTC), James Obeng, acknowledged that the enforcement of the Teacher Licensing law is underway, and individuals who violate the law will be penalized. “We are now entering the phase of licensing enforcement, and we have already begun. Anyone who does not have the authorization (license) to teach will face consequences because the law is clear,” Obeng stated.
He urged teachers in both public and private schools to obtain a teaching license to avoid prosecution.
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