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‘We shouldn’t see all teachers as hopeless over a few failures in licensure exam’ – Prof Adei
A former Rector of the Ghana Institute for Public Administration, GIMPA Prof. Stephen Adei, has urged critics and the public to desist from creating the impression that all teachers in the country are hopeless.
This follows a massive failure of teachers in the 2023 Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination organised by the National Teaching Council.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Upfront, on Wednesday, Prof Adei noted that the number of teachers that failed the exam is a small section compared to the over 300,000 teachers in the country, many of whom have successfully passed the exam.
He added that the teachers that failed in the 2023 May exams are those who failed previously in their multiple attempts to get through with the exams.
“When you look at the 7000, that are mostly repeated, the worst kind. You have over 350,000 teachers. So that’s why I’m saying you must put the 7,000 beside the over 350,000 so that you don’t give the impression that our teachers are all hopeless,” Prof Adei told the host, Isaac Kofi Agyei.
This comes after the National Teaching Council revealed that about 83.5% failed the teachers’ licensure exams held in May 2023.
The NTC noted that out of the 7,728 teachers who participated in the re-sit exams, only 1,277 passed.
The assessment in numeracy, literacy and professional knowledge is to enable qualified teachers to get a professional license, while attracting young graduates with the required professional knowledge and skills to teach.
Following the failure, the Registrar of the National Teaching Council (NTC), Christian Addai-Poku, told JoyNews that the teachers who failed would be given a last chance to re-sit.
However, some prospective students who are preparing to write the exams later this year
A student said, “most of us are doing our preparations on our own, some are relying on past questions, others have created a group to learn from each other.”
Another candidate said during the induction service they were advised to rely on pass questions as it was the best way to adequately prepare.
But Prof Adei believes that teachers do not have a right to demand for study material to aid them in adequately preparing for licensure exams.
According to him, although he has not seen the exam questions, most of the test materials are on topics that should be at the fingertips of professional teachers.
“I wish I had seen the examination because of what the NTC is saying, but basically for a teacher to be told that somebody should be given a syllabus on numeracy, just writing basic essay and you are a trained teacher and we are asking you about basic psychology, classroom management and the rest, and you say somebody should give you some material, you are indicting yourself,” he argued.
He stressed that the request by the teachers suggests that “ they are not qualified to be in the classroom.”
The spokesperson for Dr. Bawumia, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has criticised the implementation of the NDC government’s No Fee Stress policy, arguing that the programme has failed to deliver on its core promise.
According to him on Starr fm, the policy, which was introduced to ensure stress free payment of fees for level 100 tertiary students, has rather turned into what he described as post stress support.
He explained that students are required to pay their fees first before applying for reimbursement, a situation he believes defeats the purpose of the policy.
He questioned claims by government officials that the policy has been successful and that citizens are happy.
In his view, such claims do not reflect the lived realities of many Ghanaians. He stressed that while some people may appear satisfied, many others continue to struggle.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye pointed to the situation of trained teachers and nurses who have been picketing for nearly six months, demanding employment.
He noted that government responses suggesting it cannot accommodate all of them contradict claims of economic stability.
He further argued that economic indicators such as a stable currency mean little to people who are unable to secure jobs or access promised support.
He observed that telling an unemployed teacher or a struggling student that the cedi has strengthened does not address their immediate challenges.
On the issue of tertiary education, he maintained that no level 100 student benefited from stress free fees in 2025, despite the policy being announced.
He added that in 2026, students have already reported to school without receiving the promised support.
He insisted that asking students to pay fees first and seek reimbursement later amounts to support after hardship, not stress free education.
According to him, this approach goes against what was promised during the policy announcement.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye questioned why a government that presents the economy as strong is unable to fulfil what he described as simple and clear promises.
He added that there is a fundamental problem with the way the economy is being managed and indicated that he is prepared to explain his position further.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Dancehall musician Shatta Wale has issued a strong public statement calling for an end to what he describes as continuous attacks on his brand, following an apology from media commentator Awal Mohammed.
In the statement, Shatta Wale acknowledged the apology but stressed that persistent criticism and what he sees as deliberate attempts to damage his image must stop.
He noted that for many years, he has spoken for the streets, the youth, and people who feel ignored by society, while also promoting Ghana on the global stage and creating jobs through his work.
He expressed concern that some media personalities, commentators, and influential figures continue to target his name unfairly.
According to him, the issue goes beyond music and touches on respect, fairness, and national maturity.
The musician warned that continued disrespect toward voices that represent ordinary people could have wider consequences.
He emphasised that the Shatta Movement remains strong and organized, and that the patience of the masses should not be taken for granted.
He added that if systems continue to fail the people, they have the ability to organize politically through numbers and truth, not violence or hate.
Shatta Wale clarified that his message was not a threat but a reminder of reality, stressing that attacking a symbol that represents millions of people can have social, cultural, and democratic effects.
He called for respect, fairness, and unity, saying the voice of the people will always rise.
The statement comes after Awal Mohammed recently described Shatta Wale fans during a public discussion as junkies.
The comments triggered backlash from fans of the musician, prompting Awal to later issue an apology.
By: Jacob Aggrey
