The National Teaching Council (NTC) has warned that teachers who fail to obtain professional qualifications and licences by the end of the year could face sanctions from the Ghana Education Service (GES).

According to the Council, all teachers currently in classrooms without professional certification are expected to take advantage of the ongoing fast-track teacher education programme introduced to regularise their status.

The Director in charge of Licensing and Registration at the NTC, Francis Addai, said the Council intends to complete the programme for all enrolled teachers before the end of the year.

“We want to run this programme by the end of this year. The first cohort is completing in August, the second cohort will start in September and also complete in December, so we entreat all of them to join and become professional teachers,” he said on Channel One Newsroom.

He warned that teachers who fail to obtain the required licence may not be permitted to continue teaching under the GES.

“Else we will write to the employer, that is GES, and a decision will be taken on them. That one I cannot speak to now, but they need a licence to teach; therefore, they cannot remain as non-professional teachers and remain in the GES,” Mr Addai stated.

The comments follow the NTC’s recent disclosure that more than 42,000 teachers across Ghana’s basic and senior high schools currently lack professional teaching qualifications.

A nationwide survey conducted by the Council identified about 12,279 unqualified teachers in senior high schools and more than 30,000 in basic schools.

Mr Addai revealed that the Ashanti Region recorded the highest number of unqualified teachers.

“When we did the search, Ashanti Region had the highest figures, about 3,000 and over, almost 4,000, followed by Greater Accra, Eastern, and then so on,” he noted.

To address the situation, the NTC, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and five universities, has rolled out an 18-week fast-track Postgraduate Diploma in Education programme.

The programme is being implemented in partnership with the University of Cape Coast, University of Education, Winneba, University for Development Studies, Valley View University, and University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development.

The initiative is aimed at helping graduate teachers without professional training obtain certification and teaching licences as required by law.

The first batch of about 1,400 teachers is expected to complete training in August, while registration for the second cohort is scheduled to open in June ahead of classes in September.

The NTC says the programme has been heavily subsidised, costing GH¢5,000 for two semesters, to make it accessible to affected teachers nationwide.