Reorganization Of The Numeracy Test: Best Way To Ensure Valid And Reliable Results

We do appreciate the effort National Teaching Council has made in making teachers licensing exams a reality. We say Bravo!!!

However, there are few issues we are calling on NTC and all meaningful Ghanaians to help prospective teachers who sat for the exams to address with immediate effect.

The preparation towards this licensing exam was guided by the curriculum and sample questions provided by NTC on their website.

With respect to Numeracy test, NTC indicated that there will be 30 objectives (60 marks) and theory/computation (40 marks).

To our dismay NTC brought five compulsory theory questions in the Numeracy test without appropriately informing us. What a shock!!!! This is a total betrayal of trust and it is tantamount to deceit on the part of NTC.

Simply put, this is not fair so we are calling on NTC to render unqualified apology to all prospective teachers who sat for this exams for the psychological distress their actions and inactions might have caused them.

More importantly, we are also urging NTC to CANCEL the numeracy test and reorganise it in consonance with the curriculum and sample questions they posted on their website a guide.

NTC as a matter of urgency should respond to these questions:

1. What necessitated this change?
2. What prevented NTC from informing prospective teachers of this change?

2. Do you have any hidden agenda to fail candidates?

4. What could be the reason why you are not conducting licensing exams base on the prospective teachers’ area of specialization?

We are appealing to His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, Dr Opoku Prempeh Matthew (Minister of Education), GES and all meaningful stakeholders to ensure that NTC CANCELS the Numeracy exams and reorganise it. When this is done it will give the licensing exams the credibility it desires. Failure to reorganise numeracy exams will be a good grounds for us to reject the outcome of this exams results. This is because basic principles guiding assessment have been compromised.

"First impression they say counts a lot" so NTC should be guided by this and be diligent in their quest to license prospective teachers. Let's fight for the right of these prospective teachers.

Robert Oppong (Counselling Psychologist)
0208044096/0246179289