The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), has reaffirmed commitment to eliminate quackery in the teaching profession, saying that steps are being taken to ensure that only qualified teachers are allowed to teach.
The registrar/Chief Executive of TRCNProfessor Josiah Ajiboye, stated this on Friday at a one-day capacity building workshop for Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ECAN) in Abuja, sponsored by the Council.
Speaking on theme, “Sustaining the Gains of Certification in Nigeria’s Teaching Profession,” Ajiboye said to attain quality education in Nigeria, emphasis must be placed on producing ensuring quality teachers in the profession.
The TRCN boss said, “There is no way this country can have quality education if we don’t have quality teachers. The teachers are the nation builders. All the countries you see excelling in the area of education they take care of their teachers, they make sure the quality of people that go into teaching are the best of the best.
“In Finland, if you don’t have a Master you don’t go into teaching. The least qualification for teaching is Master degree. From secondary school, they select the best of the best that will go into teaching and they are well taken care of.
“If a teacher makes a mistake, it is generational and that is why it is a big challenge. We must all support the effort of TRCN to make sure that we remove quack teachers from the classroom,” he said.
He further caution politicians against bringing in unqualified people into teaching profession.
“We should not allow the politicians to go and bring people. After the election they bring some people and rush them into teaching and said let them manage, no, this is not right, the country cannot progress this way. I want to thank the government, if there is anything the government has done is in the area of teachers. Mr president has approved everything taken to him.”
Adding, he said the Council has started training the teachers. According to him, “The Minister approved that 45000 teachers should be trained across 24 states of the federation. Initially, it was 30000 but it was increased and we have started.”
Earlier, in his welcome address, the chairman of ECAN, Chuks Ukwuatu commended the TRCN for restoring sanity in the teaching profession.
“Permit me, to say that the efforts of the council in carrying out its core mandates of promoting excellence in education through effective registration and licensing of teachers; promoting professionalism through accreditation as well as monitoring and supervision of teacher licensing accreditation programmes, among others are indeed laudable,” he said.
