NSS to Deploy 5,000 Personnel for its Pedagogy Module

The National Service Scheme (NSS) is poised to broaden the scope of its Pedagogy Programme, deploying nearly 5,000 National Service Personnel (NSPs) to Basic and second cycle institutions in 2024. This initiative targets personnel lacking teaching skills, aiming to enhance teaching and learning activities in Senior High Schools.

Launched in 2022, the NSS Pedagogy Module is a progressive programme designed to equip NSPs with advanced teaching methods and educational techniques. Spearheaded by Hon. Osei Assibey Antwi, the Executive Director of NSS, in collaboration with the National Teaching Council (NTC), Transforming Teaching, Education, and Learning (T-TEL), and the Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF), the initiative seeks to bridge the gap between untrained and qualified teachers. The goal is to ensure that every classroom in Ghana is led by competent and effective educators.

According to Armstrong Esaah, Head of Corporate Affairs at NSS, the NSS Pedagogy Module represents a leapfrogging approach to improving the quality of education in Ghana. By equipping NSPs with essential teaching skills, the programme addresses the immediate needs of the education sector and creates job opportunities for thousands of Ghanaian youth. Esaah emphasized that this initiative demonstrates NSS’s commitment to transforming education and providing valuable employment opportunities for NSPs.

The programme also focuses on developing NSPs’ capacity in Universal Design for Learning (UDL), enabling them to cater for all learners, including those with special needs. This is particularly crucial in rural areas, where the pupil-teacher ratio gap remains significant. Additionally, NSS aims to facilitate the enrolment of NSPs interested in pursuing teaching careers in postgraduate education programmes through partnerships with colleges of education and other institutions.

The NSS pedagogy training aligns with the Education Regulatory Bodies Act 1023 of 2020, which mandates the NTC to regulate the teaching profession. This includes professionalizing teaching through standard’s development, continuous professional development, and licensing. The training ensures that NSPs comply with these standards, promoting a culture of continuous learning and professional growth.

The training module consists of a two-week initial intensive training before service commencement, followed by intermittent training throughout the one-year period. This provides NSPs with year-long hands-on practice and theoretical knowledge essential for effective teaching. Upon completing the training, NSPs are awarded temporary licences, allowing them to teach in secondary schools. This temporary licensure is a stepping stone towards obtaining a full professional licence, provided they pass the teacher licensure exams.

Under the “deployment for employment” agenda, NSS is moving towards professionalizing teaching among NSPs, ensuring that those without pedagogical training receive basic teaching skills through the Pedagogy Training for Untrained Teachers initiative. This signifies a shift from merely mobilizing NSPs for deployment to equipping them with employability skills that ensure sustainable livelihoods post-service. This initiative underscores NSS’s commitment to fostering continuous professional development among NSPs and instilling a culture of lifelong learning and growth.

In 2022, the programme’s launch saw 300 NSPs trained and deployed to senior high schools. The following year, 2023, the initiative expanded significantly, with 1,934 NSPs undergoing rigorous pedagogy training to enhance their teaching skills for their national service.

By Armstrong Esaah, Head of Corporate Affairs, NSS