Why Teachers Are Being Wrongly Blamed for WASSCE Failures and the Truth Behind the Misconception.

Why Teachers Are Being Wrongly Blamed for WASSCE Failures and the Truth Behind the Misconception.The recent release of West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results has sparked public debate, unfortunately fueled by a misleading narrative suggesting that student underperformance stems from teachers failing licensure examinations 

This claim, made by the Hon. Minister of Education on Joy news’ Eduwatch program, is not only factually inaccurate but also conceptually flawed and damaging to the reputation of the teaching profession.

The statement, “If teachers fail licensure exams, why would you be surprised if students fail WASSCE?”, fundamentally misrepresents Ghana’s teacher regulatory framework and wrongly conflates licensure candidates with fully qualified teachers.

Clarifying the Legal and Professional Status of a Teacher

The National Teaching Council (NTC) exists to professionalise teaching and uphold educational standards in Ghana. The Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination (GTLE) is a crucial part of this mandate and serves strictly as an entry requirement into the teaching profession. It is not, and has never been, intended to evaluate serving teachers.

By law and professional convention:

A Teacher is a trained, certified, licensed, and inducted professional authorised to teach in Ghanaian classrooms.

A Licensure Candidate is a graduate or trainee seeking entry into the profession, who has not yet fulfilled the statutory requirements to teach.

Those who fail the licensure examination do not enter classrooms, do not teach curricula, and do not assess learners. Serving teachers, having already met all licensure requirements, are not required to retake the examination. Therefore, attributing WASSCE outcomes to “teachers” who have supposedly failed licensure exams is misleading and logically indefensible.

A Misplaced Transfer of Accountability

Linking the performance of licensure candidates to the academic outcomes of senior high school students is a false equivalence for several reasons:

Selection Versus Performance: The licensure exam is a gatekeeping measure designed to prevent unqualified individuals from teaching. If properly implemented, only competent, licensed professionals are entrusted with learners’ education.

Erosion of Professional Integrity: Suggesting that teachers fail due to licensure issues unfairly discredits thousands of licensed educators who continue to serve diligently, often under challenging conditions, despite unresolved professional and welfare concerns.

Policy Deflection: This narrative shifts attention away from the structural, resource, and policy challenges that more plausibly explain variations in educational outcomes.

Conclusion: Reframing the National Conversation

To genuinely improve educational outcomes and safeguard Ghana’s youth, national discourse must be rooted in accuracy, fairness, and evidence-based policy analysis. Using licensure challenges as a justification for gaps in secondary education leadership does a disservice to the sector.

The title “Teacher” is earned through rigorous training, certification, and licensure. Until these processes are complete, no individual legally qualifies as a teacher and should not be cited as an explanation for broader educational challenges.

Protecting the integrity of the teaching profession is essential to restore public confidence, strengthen accountability, and promote meaningful, sustainable reform in Ghana’s secondary education system.



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