Prof. Ransford Gyampo, a professor of political science at the University of Ghana, has cautioned Ghanaians to approach their judgement of the massive failure of prospective teachers in the recently conducted licensure exam with some caution in order to not discourage and insult those who seek to be a part of the noble profession of teaching.
According to Professor Gyampo, the administration has hinted that there will be some sort of freeze in public sector recruitment as part of its proposals to receive assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
According to him, this is something that needs to be considered as one of the aspects that could help explain the widespread failure on the licence exam.
Licensure Exams: Prof Gyampo suspects IMF conditionality for mass failure
He was perplexed as to how a government that had decided to put a halt to recruiting in the public sector could simultaneously encourage the exodus of over 6,000 teachers, who would likewise place a strain on the public budget.
In addition to this, Professor Gyampo mentioned that many of the individuals who were interested in becoming teachers went into the field of education not because they had a passion for the profession but rather as a guaranteed assurance against the possibility of joblessness when they graduated from school.
He contends that it cannot be considered part of the illustrious teaching profession for individuals who enter the field just because it is the only way for them to obtain employment quickly.
Professor Gyampo believes that the only people who should pursue a career in teaching are those who are exceptionally gifted intellectually.
In this sense, he claimed that individuals who do not have such a calling should not be permitted to draw closer to the noble profession. In other words, they should not be allowed to become priests.
On the programme The Keypoints that airs on TV3, he stated that people entering the teaching profession shouldn’t do so out of a need for work.
Finally, Professor Gyampo issued a request for a comprehensive revision of the level of instruction and training provided at the various teacher-training facilities.
He stated that some of the centers do not have the necessary infrastructure to do what they have set out to achieve, and he added that the concept of distance education, which he described as treating students in an unprofessional manner, must also be reconsidered because it is a contributing factor to the problem.