The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) says after the first quarter of 2017, teachers will have to take “professional qualifying examination” before they are duly registered by the council.
The Registrar of the council, Prof. Josiah Ajiboye who disclosed this Tuesday in Abuja noted that some states in the country had already made registration with the council as a requirement for teachers’ promotion.
“We are particularly happy with what is happening in the Northern parts of Nigeria especially in Sokoto state.
“Sokoto state has set up what you call a task force for the implementation of TRCN mandate.
“According to the commissioner for basic and secondary school education in Sokoto state, all teachers in public primary schools in Sokoto state must register with TRCN and that drive is on all over the country, because teachers have now realised that after the first quarter of 2017, before you can register with TRCN, you will take what you call professional qualifying exam.
“We also have to commend the Kaduna state governor, who has set machinery in motion to ensure that all teachers in Kaduna state also register with TRCN.
“In fact apart from registering with TRCN, the registration with TRCN is going to be a condition for promotion for teachers in Kaduna state and that is a noble step, because if our focus is on quality education in the country, then we have to focus on the teachers.
“No education can rise beyond the quality of its teachers and so teacher education and teacher quality must be taken very seriously in the country.’’
He also said that the council would focus on teacher registration and teacher development across the country in 2017.
The registrar added that in the course of the year, the council might organise at least one continuing professional development programme for registered teachers in the country.
“In 2017 TRCN as a council will focus more on aggressive mobilisation for massive registration of Nigerian teachers by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria.
“The drive is on in all the states of the federation, particularly in those areas where there has been low registration before.
“There has been increased effort to make sure that teachers in those parts of the country actually register.
“Also, we will make sure that we organise at least one continuing professional development programme for registered teachers in Nigeria within the year.”
The registrar commended the Ministers of Education for putting teacher quality, welfare and remuneration as top priorities of the present administration.
He also commended the Kaduna and Sokoto state governments for the efforts they were making toward improving the quality of teachers in their areas.
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