TRCN: Repositioning teaching from the shadows

Achieving qualitative education in Nigeria would be a mirage if the teaching profession is not in good shape. In this report, DOOSUUR IWAMBE, examines how the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria is transforming the profession through innovation.

It is no longer news that most developed countries usually trace their roots of success in all sectors to the quality of their teaching profession.

The long chain of all other professions like medicine, law and engineering originate from the teaching profession. However, the reverse is the case in Nigeria, as teaching is being seen as the last resort for academic losers.

Some people even refer to teachers as substitutes on the bench of life, who are left with no option than to proceed and be employed into the teaching profession.

Teachers’ condition of service in Nigeria lacks adequate incentives to attract and retain the best brains in Nigerian schools.

The dwindling attraction to the teaching profession, and by extension the resultant low enrollment in the teacher education programs are traceable to the relatively low social status of teachers with accompanying psychological impacts.

Consequently, within the remaining pool, some teachers either seek opportunities in other sectors (within the economy) with better service incentives or even migrate to other countries where teachers’ conditions of service are much better, in search of greener pastures.

The quality or standard of education in Nigeria has reduced in recent years because of, among other factors, the brain drain phenomenon, (i.e., the drift of many brilliant, intelligent and more experienced teachers and university lecturers to countries where they were offered better remunerations and conditions of service).

This, to a large extent, is attributable to inadequate incentives, poorly equipped education system in an increasingly hostile working environment, inadequate social recognition, delay in payment (and sometimes denial) of teachers’ salaries, among others.

The reliance on inexperienced, and in some cases unqualified teachers in the various educational fields and institutions in the country definitely affects the quality of students’ work, and of graduates who are eventually employed to service the educational workers’ needs, as well as the economy.

This vicious circle contributes to the lowering status of education in the universities, colleges of education as well as secondary and primary schools even as the trend impacts on the economy negatively.

TRCN innovations changing the narrative

To change the narrative and make the teaching profession attractive as w put it at par with global standards, the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) under the leadership of its Registrar, Professor Josiah Ajiboye, has embarked on some innovative measures that are silently transforming the profession.

For instance, the council set up a taskforce to crackdown on unqualified teachers across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Ajiboye explained that the enforcement and monitoring of compliance with its directive was to ensure that only qualified professionals licensed by TRCN should teach in public and private schools nationwide.

Ajiboye, who maintained that no serious country allows her future leaders to be miseducated by quacks, stated that the Buhari-led administration is determined to have professional teachers given necessary tools to excel.

“TRCN commences compliance monitoring across the country. As the December 31, 2019 deadline given by the National Council on Education for anybody who wants to practise as a teacher in the country to get qualified, registered and licensed by TRCN has passed, the regulatory authority is embarking on verification of compliance in all the states of the federation and FCT.

“The exercise is, however, put on hold in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states due to the challenges there. 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 the 9th of March and end on the 17th.

“However this exercise will be a continuous one as TRCN has created a Compliance and Enforcement Unit at its head office for routine monitoring.

“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,” the TRCN Registrar said.

Prof Ajiboye also took exception to state governments that have been recruiting teachers and treating TRCN certification or license as optional, as he reiterated that a TRCN certification is mandatory in order to be considered employable as a teacher.

“TRCN takes exception to some states making the 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 would allow just anybody into its classrooms to teach their children. There must be evidence of professional certification to practice as a teacher,” he said.

Speaking recently during a one-day Capacity Training Workshop, it organized for Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ECAN) in Abuja, Prof Ajiboye disclosed that Nigerian Teachers are now being sought after globally.

He said that he has signed about 100 letters of Professional for qualified Nigerian teachers who secured teaching jobs in Canada and other parts of the world since the beginning of the year 2021.

While stressing that teachers trained in Nigeria are becoming highly competitive, he added that governments at all levels should work hard to attract them to stay back home.

Ajiboye emphasized the approvals given by President Muhammadu Buhari, on repositioning teaching profession in the country.

He also called for adherence by the State governments as they are the largest employers of teachers in the country.

He said, “Mr President started with that in 2020, if we can be able to follow through this, I believe very strongly that the trend of our teachers leaving the country will reduce.

“At the Federal Ministry of Education level, the circular has gone out on 65years of teacher’s retirement, Federal teachers will benefit from this beginning from January 2021, some of the approval will wait till 2022 but we will continue with the implementation”.

He assured that with the approvals given by the President and with it full implementation across the country with the cooperation of states, more qualified teachers will be retained in the system.

“We don’t want our qualified teachers to leave Nigeria but for those that are leaving, they are being rated at par with their colleagues abroad”.

Ajiboye, who further noted that it was getting practically impossible to get a teaching job without being registered and licensed, however, said that the country would only develop positively when the right calibre of teachers were engaged to impact learning in schools. “If we want to get it right in Nigeria, we must get the issues of the teachers’ right.

‘’A situation where anyone whether qualified or unqualified is free to stand in front of a classroom to teach is sheet anarchy and Nigeria is already paying a big price for neglect of the sector.”

Ajiboye said the next step on line was to secure the approval of the Federal Executive Council, adding that the National Assembly was also expected to intervene in amending relevant laws to allow the increase in service and retirement years for teachers.

The TRCN boss further commended Buhari; the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu; and Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, for their support to the teaching profession.

The TRCN’s Assistant Director, Research and Statistics, Dr. Magaji Waziri in his presentation at the workshop explained that the approved document on career path policy for teachers had also been approved by the National Council on Education, and already awaiting the buy-in by relevant stakeholders for implementation.

He also called on the federal government to make education course compulsory for all the universities in the country.

Also speaking at the event, the Chairman of ECAN, Chuks Ukwuatu, called on journalists to ensure adequate reportage of education to foster development in other sectors.

Ukwuatu commended TRCN for its role in ensuring excellence in the education, professionalism of teachers, as well a maintenance of teachers’ quality.

He also appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to renew the appointment of the TRCN boss to ensure continuity in transforming the nation’s teaching profession.

The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) is a statutory body established by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria Act 1993. The council is an agency under the Federal Ministry of Education.

The TRCN Act declares that the purpose of the Act is to establish the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, which has the duty of determining the standards of knowledge and skill to be attained by persons seeking to become registered as teachers and for related matters.

The TRCN is a statutory regulatory body which regulates the teaching profession and teachers at all levels of the Nigerian Education system. A regulatory body is a statutory establishment charged with the duty of ensuring compliance with the requirement of the law.

It generally has the duties of accrediting, recognising and approving persons and organisations which fall under the purview of its control.