The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria(TRCN) is strengthening the capacity of its members of staff across Nigeria as part of the effort to intensify the clampdown on unqualified teachers.
The Registrar of the council, Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, said this at a two-day Capacity Training Workshop for TRCN coordinators in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), in Abuja on Wednesday.
The event is organised by TRCN with funding support from UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation(UNESCO).
Ajiboye said that one of the cardinal points of the workshop was to give the necessary training, to intensify clampdown on unqualified teachers across the country.
The registrar, who noted with concern the damage being done to the education sector by quacks, said the council would not relent in “weeding out these set of people, who assumed that the teaching profession is an all comers affair.”
He added that the training was aimed at ensuring that members of staff were well acquainted with other workings of the council.
“That is one of the major reasons we are having this training, to swing into action against unqualified teachers.
“We started the enforcement in 2020 but because of COVID-19, we stopped.
“We want to make sure that TRCN staff are up to date on activities of the organisation, in terms of career path development for teachers.
“We also want to make sure they are up to date on ministerial strategic plan and also the professional standard for Nigerian teachers and enforcement of TRCN activities.
“The idea is that if we get them grounded in TRCN programmes, they will be able to go to the level of state and implement our activities.”
Ajiboye noted that beyond that, the coordinators, who were representatives of the registrar at the state level, should be able to speak to all the programmes of TRCN, like teaching for excellence.
He advised schools to prioritise training and retraining of teachers for efficient delivery.
Mr Mamadou Lamine, Senior Programme Specialist Education, UNESCO Regional Office, Abuja, said the role being played by UNESCO was to help reposition the education sector in Nigeria.
He said, “this activity is within the framework of UNESCO’s collaboration with TRCN, which began early this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“UNESCO’s continued collaboration with TRCN is in line with its mandate of coordinating and leading action towards the achievement of the SDG 4.
“This is particularly relevant for tackling the issues raised in target 4.c.
“This calls for member states to ensure that teachers and educators are empowered, adequately recruited, well-trained, professionally qualified, motivated and supported within well-resourced, efficient and effectively governed systems.”
He disclosed that UNESCO’s work regarding the development of teachers was specifically in five areas.
According to him, they include monitoring of international normative instruments regarding the teaching profession and supporting member states in the development and review of teacher policies and strategies.
He said that others include, developing capacities for enhancing quality of teaching and learning and improving knowledge and evidence base for implementation and monitoring of teacher target in Education 2030.
Lamine stressed that undertaking advocacy and knowledge sharing for the promotion of quality teaching and learning was also an area in focus.
“I am pleased to note that the UNESCO-TRCN collaboration has been purposeful and strategic.
“UNESCO was part of the team that supported the development of the Career Path Policy for Teachers in Nigeria.
“I am happy to note it is one of the policies to be discussed and for which a monitoring strategy will be fashioned during this workshop.
“This meeting is also relevant to improving the knowledge and evidence base for the implementation and monitoring of the teacher target in Education 2030 focus area of UNESCO’s work,” Lamine said.
He said, for TRCN to deliver on its mandate to regulate and control the teaching profession at all levels, its personnel must be equipped with the required skills to be relevant and effective at the national and state levels.
He urged the participants to seize the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and sharpen your skills to be more effective. (NAN)