Teachers who are not employed by the Ghana Education Service (GES) can choose whether to renew their permanent teaching licences now or wait until they secure employment, according to clarification shared in response to growing concerns over the National Teaching Council's (NTC) licence renewal exercise.
The clarification comes after numerous enquiries from teachers who raised concerns about difficulties renewing their permanent licences particularly those currently unemployed or working in private schools.
Renew Now or Wait The Choice Is Yours
Teachers not currently employed by GES can still opt to renew their permanent licences, subject to the applicable NTC requirements. Alternatively, those who prefer to wait until they secure a GES posting can explore renewal at that later stage, provided they meet the relevant requirements at the time.
Importantly, there is no specific deadline attached to the current renewal exercise, which should ease pressure on teachers weighing their options.
Who This Mostly Affects
The issue has mainly concerned teachers holding provisional licences obtained through the Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination (GTLE) who haven't yet secured employment with GES. These teachers are not necessarily required to rush into renewing their permanent licences simply because they're currently unemployed ,they can weigh their own circumstances and decide after confirming the applicable requirements directly with the Council.
The GH₵200 Renewal Fee: Who Pays?
A clear distinction has also been made between GES staff teachers and teachers working outside the Service regarding the GH₵200 renewal fee.
- GES staff teachers are not expected to pay the GH₵200 separately, since annual deductions already cover teaching licence renewal and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) costs.
- Non-GES teachers - including those in private institutions and those currently unemployed don't benefit from these automatic deductions and are therefore required to pay the applicable renewal fee themselves.
Teachers in these categories are encouraged to verify their individual payment obligations directly with the NTC before making any payment.
Source: Coleman Publications, by Moses Coleman