The National Service Scheme (NSS) has launched a novel programme to equip national service personnel (NSP) with advanced teaching methods and educational techniques.
The “NSS Pedagogy Module in 2022” seeks to bridge the gap between untrained and qualified teachers, ensuring that teaching and learning was only facilitated across the country by competent and effective educators.
The initiative is in collaboration with the National Teaching Council (NTC), Transforming Teaching, Education, and Learning (T-TEL), and the Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF).
A statement issued by the Head of Corporate Affairs at the NSS, Mr Armstrong Esaah, said the programme’s primary goal was to equip NSPs assigned to the teaching field for their mandatory one-year service with basic teaching skills to foster effective learning environments in schools, particularly in deprived and hard-to-reach communities.
It said over the years the NSS has played a pivotal role in addressing the pupil-teacher ratio gap by deploying over 40 per cent of its personnel to basic and second-cycle institutions annually.
“Recognising the need for formal training, the NSS has introduced this pedagogy module to ensure that service personnel without prior educational training can still deliver high-quality education, since these personnel do not only impart knowledge but also serve as role models within their communities.”
Throwing more light on the module, the statement indicated that the “NSS Pedagogy Module” includes a two-week initial intensive training before service commencement and intermittent training throughout the one-year period, providing 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,” it noted.
The NSS in its statement maintained that “under the umbrella of the deployment for employment agenda, the NSS is moving towards professionalising 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 mobilising NSPs for deployment to equipping them with employability skills that ensure sustainable livelihoods post-service,” it stressed.
BY TIMES REPORTER
