4th March, 2020
The Federal Government is set to begin the enforcement and monitoring of compliance with its directive to ensure only qualified and professionals teach in both public and private schools.
The Registrar, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Prof. Segun Ajiboye, made this known in Ibadan on Wednesday while speaking with newsmen.
Ajiboye said that the enforcement and monitoring would begin in both public and private schools nationwide.
He noted that the first phase of the compliance monitoring and documentation would take place between March 9 and March 17.
According to him, the task force has been activated to beam its searchlight into the credentials of those teaching in government and private schools for appropriate commendation or sanction as the case may be.
Ajiboye said: “The National Council on Education declared Dec. 31, 2019, as the last day for unlicensed teachers to be registered with TRCN or get booted out of the classroom.
“No serious nation allows her future leaders to be misguided by quacks.’’
He said that the Buhari-led administration had a dream to ensure professional teachers were given necessary tools to excel.
“TRCN commences compliance monitoring across the country, as the Dec. 31, 2019 deadline given by the National Council on Education for anybody who wants to practice as a teacher in the country to get qualified, registered and licensed by TRCN had passed.
“The regulatory authority is embarking on verification of compliance in all the states of the Federation and FCT,” he said.
He, however, said that the exercise was put on hold in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States due to the challenges there.
Ajiboye said: “The TRCN team in each state will be led by a Professor of Education or a Provost of a College of Education.
“The first leg of the exercise will start on March 9 and end on March 17.
“However, this exercise will be a continuous one as TRCN has created a Compliance & Enforcement Unit at its head office for routine monitoring.’’
He 1explained that prior to the commencement of the monitoring, a technical team was set up by TRCN and a meeting was held with all the state coordinators where issues of logistics were discussed and harmonised.
In a related development, Ajiboye said that TRCN took exception to states recruiting teachers and treating her license as “added advantage”.
He noted that the TRCN certification was a must criterion of employment.
“TRCN takes exception to some sates making TRCN Certificate optional in their recruitment of teachers.
“This practice must stop because it is mandatory for anyone who wants to profit from the job of a teacher to be registered with the regulatory authority.
“It is, therefore, considered absurd for any state to say ‘TRCN Certificate will be an added advantage’. Whereas that is supposed to be the number one criterion.
“This is the global best practice. There is no serious nation that allows just anybody into its classrooms to teach their children.
“There must be evidence of professional certification to practice as a teacher,” Ajiboye said.