Proposed Licencing Of Teachers—Best Practices And Vigilance Is The Way Forward

We have taken into cognisance of the fact that discussions are ongoing on Television and Radio stations about the licencing of professional teachers.

Many teachers have met the new policy with mixed feelings with some raising alarm on it feasibility and eventual consequences.

Though other unions have spoken concerning the policy, we believe their outburst is misplaced.

We are aware that the policy is not a wholesale one and will grind through the wheels of piloting and testing before it would be enrolled totally.

We want to state emphatically that we in the All Teachers Alliance Ghana (ATAG) are not against the initiative because *licencing of teachers aim at protecting the institution and authorizes the individual to practice what he/she has been trained to do as a teacher.*

We urged all our members including all other teachers not to be alarmed about the various spinning on the policy. The policy which was hatched 2008 was meant to overhaul the profession and to make it benchmark for quality education.

We also caution teachers not *to put political capital* on the ongoing discussions but approach it with intellectualism and remain optimistic that the licensing might even end up solving our predicaments we always lament about.

Notwithstanding, *in order to ensure vigilance and best practices*, ATAG expects the implementation authorities to clarify issues by responding to these questions:

*(a)* Will the licencing upgrade the professional status of teachers? By this we mean to ask whether our *condition of service will be properly captured on paper and adhered to.*

*(b)* Will the licencing guarantee automatic upgrading after one has taken the examination or it must be renewed whenever it expires? Because we fear regular writing of examination will *result in teacher apathy and demoralization*.

*(c)* Whether teachers who failed the exams will be given the second chance to prove their professionalism or are going to be demoted for life? Whether teachers on their current ranks might get their *rankings reversed* in case their performance fall below expectation.

We implore the leadership of GNAT who which holds the bargaining power of teachers, to be very vigilant and ensure that they don't messed up with any affront negotiations that may come up. The fall out in the single spine salary arrears is still fresh on the minds of teachers.

We however state that in as much that we welcome this new policy, we *will also resist anything, without fear and panic, that will put the dignity of teachers into disrepute.*

We therefore admonish National Teachers Council (NTC) to do broader consultation with stakeholders and spell out explicit modalities of the program.

Our basic principles of *fairness, equity, democracy, economic opportunities*, and *career development* for our members is our core mandate.

We are ready to contribute to teacher professionalism and quality education in the country. Our research platform will always be used to compliment higher and better standards of education.

*ATAG! Be Empowered*
*ATAG! Empowering Teachers*
*ATAG! The Teacher is the Reason*
....Signed....
Isaac Ofori
National Chairman
0249403277
Albert Dadson Amoah
General Secretary
0509639374
Abraham. K. Arhin
Communication Director
024 989 3511