UEW to start training private school teachers for a teaching license

The Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) has finally reached an agreement with the University of Education (UEW) to start training private school teachers to acquire a National Teaching Council (NTC) teaching license.

The private school teachers’ training agreement was finalised at a meeting between the National Executive Director of GNACOPS, Enoch Kwasi Gyetuah and University Dean Professor Hinneh Kusi, who explored vital education pillars.

Discussions included the commencement of professional development in education leadership for private school owners and administrators to meet regulatory requirements, ensuring a high standard of education.

The dialogue also covered shared goals in training programs, collaboration opportunities, curriculum development, resource allocation, and funding mechanisms. Robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms were discussed for continuous improvement in educational outcomes.

This comes after a team of six Faculty Members of UEW successfully developed an education programme to scale up the training of untrained private school teachers under the Ghana National Council of Private Schools to professionally trained teachers.

Members of the University that developed the programme are the Dean, School of Graduate Studies, Prof. George Kankam; Dean, Faculty of Educational Studies, Prof. Samuel K. Hayford; Dean, Faculty of Science Education,

Others are Prof. Ruby Hanson; Head of Department (HoD), Basic Education, Prof. Sakina Acquah; HoD, Early Childhood Education, Dr. Yayra Dzakadzie; and HoD, Educational Foundation, Dr. Richard Addai-Mununkum. 

The three-semester teacher education programme, to be run by UEW, will upgrade the levels of untrained teachers in private schools in Ghana to match up with the teaching requirements of the Teacher Professionalism Policy by the Ministry of Education through the National Teaching Council (NTC). 

Trainees would undertake the programme for three sessions of six weeks each where the credit load for each semester would be 27. Learners would be assessed after each session and grades cumulated over the three-session period leading to the award of a Diploma in Basic Education to successful trainees. 

Applicants with the minimum entry requirement will be automatically admitted to the programme following application while applicants of 25 years and over will qualify to sit for the Mature Students Entrance Examination and gain admission if they pass.

However, applicants who do not fall into the two aforementioned categories would be offered the opportunity for an Access Course for three weeks following which they would be assessed and qualified students admitted.  

Graduates of the Diploma in Basic Education can pursue a Bachelor of Education in Basic Education with a one-year top-up to obtain the degree. Those who already have earned a degree but without professional qualifications can do a postgraduate diploma in Education under the programme to become professionals.