GBEST: We can’t rely on WASSCE results for College entry – NTC to GNAT

Admission into Colleges of Education : GBEST: We can’t rely on WASSCE results for College entry – NTC to GNAT

The National Teaching Council (NTC) after a teacher union protested against the re-introduction of teacher training institution entrance exams has said it can not solely rely on WASSCE results to offer students College admission.

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) in a statement copied to EducationWeb said the Teaching Council as a Regulator and not Implementer has no right to conduct the entrance test for prospective students.

“NTC once again is attempting to craft a policy and arbitrarily foist it on the education enterprise. the NTC should cease being a Regulator and Implementer; it does not have the mandate to be so,” the teacher union said in the statement.

The National Association in the press release dated February 8, 2022, said it is “tired and wearied with this idea of throwing out policies and programmes into the educational milieu without consultations with bodies which matter.”

“We wish to reiterate, that we are not against reforms to education; we stand for the best for education in the country; however, we won’t stand for policies, programmes and pronouncements off-the-cuff,” the Teacher Association noted.

But, Registrar of NTC, Dr Christain Addai Poku speaking at the 12th Congregation of Atebubu College of Education said the entrance exams slated for August this year will ensure WASSCE graduates entering the College are fully qualified.

“We need a system that does not rely solely on WASSCE results but something in addition to the results to see if the person entering the College is fully qualified. We could have an entrance exam followed by an interview,” he stated.

The College of Education entrance test also known as the Ghana Basic Education Skills Examination Test (GBEST), Mr Addai Poku at a stakeholder meeting said will ensure public Teacher Training Colleges produce quality teachers.

“The GBEST will, thus, be used as the entry assessment for the trainee teachers and after completion, the students will be made to write a level and subject-based licensure examination to be qualified as professional teachers,” he noted.

According to him, the College entrance examination forms part of reforms being proposed by NTC to harmonise teacher education admissions in the country and also improve teacher education as part of the educational reforms.

READ: Universities may be shut over prolonged UTAG strike – Govt rep

The Registrar of the National Teaching Council further said the reforms are to ensure that WASSCE graduates who applied to be trained as government teachers have the required qualifications and disposition to become teachers.

Source: Educationweb.com.gh