Categories: EducationNews

TRCN to Commence Verification on Teachers Certificate

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The Teacher Registration Council of Nigeria, TRCN, has said it will commence it’s Physical verification of teachers certificates of both public and private schools on Monday, March 9 to end exercise on Tuesday, March 17, 2020.

TRCN’s Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, in a statement said only qualified, registered and licensed teachers by TRCN will be allowed to practice in the country after the verification.

Josiah Ajiboye said, the verification will take place in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and almost all the 36 states, except in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, where there are security challenges occasioned by Boko Haram activities he added that, the council has put in place a crack team to enforce compliance.

Prof. Josiah Ajiboye said the agency was particularly keen on beaming its searchlights on teachers in private schools, where it has been alleged that most of them do not have requisite certificates

Josiah Ajiboye statement reads: “As the December 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 has passed, the regulatory authority is embarking on verification of compliance in all the states of the federation and FCT.”

Ekohotblog understands that the TRCN team in each state, will be led by a Professor of Education or a Provost of a College of Education.

Also, Ajiboye opposed state governments which have made TRCN certificate optional in their recruitment of teachers. TRCN takes exception to some states 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.

Ajiboye said, “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 and 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.”

However, Prior to the commencement of the monitoring, a technical team has been set up by TRCN and a meeting was held with all the state coordinators where issues of logistics were discussed and harmonised.

Ajiboye said TRCN has decided that, this exercise will be continuous as TRCN has created a Compliance and Enforcement Unit at its head office for routine monitoring.