Save The Teaching Profession

It’s surprising to wake this morning (August 30, 2018) to news on Radio Ghana that some Teacher Trainees in the Western Region of Ghana are kicking against the Teachers’ Licensure Examination. As someone who is into Career Guidance and have some knowledge on Job Security, I think that all teachers and Teacher Trainees should embrace the Teachers’ Licensure Examination. This will stop others from infiltrating into the teachers’ profession whenever they are not able to secure their heart desired jobs after their National Service. This is the reason why the GES is unable to absorb particularly trained teachers from the universities.

Licensure, first of all, is the mark of a professional. The licensure process demands an extra measure of competence and dedication. While not all professionals find licensure mandatory for their chosen career paths, the initials after their names can provide many advantages; e.g., Dr. (for certified Medical Doctors), Eng. (for certified Engineers), Esq.(for Attorneys), Surv. (for Certified Surveyors).

Employers in all disciplines indicate that they find licensed professional employees to be more dedicated, with enhanced leadership and management skills. These employers look to licensure in evaluating the advancement potential of employees.

Licensed employees also achieve an enhanced status in the eyes of the public, which equates the employees with professionals licensed in all recognised fields.

Licensure is an indicator of dedication to integrity, hard work, and creativity, and an assurance that the individual employee has passed at least a minimum screen of competence. Of course, licensure is just a starting point for professional growth and development, and participation in professional activities is part of the ongoing activities of a true professional.

Regardless of the career path you choose to take, there are a number of practical considerations concerning licensure of which you should be aware:

• Only a licensed employee may prepare, sign and seal, and submit engineering plans and drawings to a public authority for approval, or seal engineering work for public and private clients (in the case of certified Engineers). Only certified Medical Doctors can perform Surgical Operations of some diseases and up to a degree (in the case of Health) etc.
• Licensure for individuals who wish to pursue a career as a consultant or a private practitioner is not something that is merely desirable; it is a legal requirement for those who are in responsible charge of work, be they principals or employees.
• Licensure for employees in government sector has become increasingly significant. Many state, and Metropolitan, Municipal and District agencies require that certain governmental positions, particularly those considered higher level and responsible positions, be filled only by licensed professional employees.
• For those considering a career in education, many countries have been increasingly requiring that those individuals teaching must be licensed. Exemptions to state laws are under attack, and in the future, those in education, as well as industry and government, may need to be licensed to practice. Also, licensure helps educators prepare students for their future job search.
• With the growing complexity and the increasing diversity of modern trends in teaching and learning, the teacher must readily be able to communicate and exchange ideas and views with other licensed employees in the teaching field in other countries.
• For those pursuing careers in Teacher Education, licensure has recently taken on increased meaning with heightened public attention concerning the poor and falling standards of education.
• State agencies in education are seeking to obtain authority to be able to impose civil penalties against unlicensed individuals who unlawfully engage in the practice of teaching.
• Teachers must adapt to a rapidly changing workplace-restructuring, downsizing, outsourcing and privatization. Teachers should prepare to make the transition into a consulting relationship with former employers and clients in the event of a corporate outsourcing and respond if their agencies decide to bring Teaching and Learning services in-house. Only by becoming licensed can a Teacher perform the broad scope of the Teaching and Learning services within an area of competence as defined under the Ghanaian law.

To conclude, Licensure tests are only one factor that influences the overall quality of teachers and teaching. Changes in the quality and effectiveness of teachers depend on many things. Salaries and working conditions affect who enters teaching, as do schooling conditions. It’s my hope that the various teacher unions will not politicize this professional examination, but embrace it to save the Teaching Profession.

MR. JOSHUA UPOALKPAJOR
Assistant Lecturer
Department of Psychology and Education
University of Education-Winneba
Winneba