GES holds first cohort of pedagogy training for NSS teachers

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has successfully completed the first cohort of pedagogy training for Untrained Teachers on the National Service Scheme (NSS) Teaching Module at six centres across the country.

In a blog post sighted by AcademicWeek, GES said held from December 5th to 16th, a total of 2,025 National Service Personnel participated in the residential training, which was facilitated by tutors selected from all 46 Colleges of Education.

“During the training, the National Service Personnel were equipped with the essential skills, strategies, and tools needed to make a maximum impact in the classrooms during their one-year National Service period

In addition, the Service Persons acquired foundational pedagogical skills in preparation for their work as teachers in schools,” the management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) stated in the blog post.

The pedagogy training, which is the first of its kind, according to GES is a valuable opportunity for National Service Personnel to develop their skills and knowledge as they prepare to serve as teachers in second-cycle schools.

“The successful completion of this training will no doubt have a positive impact on the quality of education in these schools and benefit the students who will be taught by these newly trained teachers,” It stated in the post.

The training comes after the Ministry of Education on November 30, 2022, launched pedagogy training as part of an effort to equip unprofessional national service personnel posted to public schools to do national service with essential teaching skills.

The Minister for Education, Dr Adutwum, at the launch said the training aims to ensure that national service personnel deployed to classrooms for their mandatory one-year service enter the classroom with some basic teaching skills.

Mr Osei Yaw Adutwum indicated that about 5,000 of the approximately 41,000 service personnel posted to teach by the National Service Scheme to work as teachers have no training in pedagogy or education.

“Every year the National Service Secretariat posts approximately 41,000 service personnel to work as teachers. Whilst around 36,000 of these personnel are graduates of Bachelor of Education degree courses from Colleges of Education and Universities there are still almost 5,000 personnel who have received no training in pedagogy or education who are posted to teach,” he said.

The pedagogy module was designed by the National Teaching Council, the National Service Scheme (NSS), the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Ghana TVET Service, and other agencies under the Ministry of Education.

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The launch was themed “Enhancing the Capacity of Personnel to Improve Learning Outcomes”. Present at the pedagogy training launch were the Chief of Staff, Hon Akosua Frema Osei-Opare and other stakeholders.