The National Teaching Council (NTC) has launched an initiative to certify more than 42,000 unqualified teachers in basic and senior high schools through a fast-track professional training programme.

According to the Council, 12,279 senior high school teachers are currently teaching without professional qualifications, while more than 30,000 teachers at the basic school level also lack the required legal credentials.

Director in charge of Licensing and Registration at the NTC, Francis Addai, disclosed the figures in an interview with JoyNews following a nationwide survey conducted by the Council.

He explained that the NTC, in collaboration with five universities, is rolling out a fast-track Postgraduate Diploma in Education programme aimed at professionalising graduate teachers and enabling them to obtain teaching licences as required by law.

The participating institutions are University of Cape Coast, University of Education, Winneba, University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Valley View University and University for Development Studies.

Mr Addai noted that beneficiaries would pay a subsidised fee of GH¢5,000 for the two-semester programme, which is expected to be completed within 18 weeks.

“We conducted a survey in all senior high schools and discovered that about 12,279 teachers are unqualified but are teaching. We also have more than 30,000 in the basic schools,” he said.

He appealed to non-professional teachers in public and private sectors to take advantage of the initiative to secure the legal right to teach.

Meanwhile, a matriculation ceremony has been held at the University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development for the first cohort of 1,400 students enrolled on the programme. The participants are expected to complete their training by August.

Some beneficiary teachers have praised the initiative, describing it as timely and transformative.

One participant, Adjei Serwaa Abigail, said the programme had equipped her with effective teaching strategies and pedagogical skills that would improve her classroom delivery.

Another beneficiary, Bismarck Boadi, noted that the training had deepened his understanding of classroom management, assessment methods and modern teaching approaches.

The second cohort of the programme is scheduled to begin in September 2026.