Funmi Olaitan, Ibadan

The Federal Government on Tuesday threatened to wield the big stick on teachers in both public and private schools across the country who are yet to register with Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), calling on them to quit the teaching profession. 

Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah and Registrar/Chief Executive of the TRCN, Prof. Olusegun Ajiboye, gave the warning at the training the trainer capacity building workshop, held at the University of Ibadan.

They said the implementation of the registration of teachers will commence in January next year, adding that any teacher who refuses to register by then would not be allowed to teach again.

The Minister said the teacher factor is  the most important factor that has affected the quality of education in the country, stating that a well trained qualified teacher who is dedicated to his or her profession will achieve much in teaching delivery with moderate logistics.

According to him, the Federal Government has rolled out a 3-year Ministerial Strategic Plan and the critical elements of the plan is repositioning teacher education, capacity building and professional development.

While insisting that teachers quality and professional development is a cardinal policy directive of the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, he maintained that  teaching as a profession must have a set of standards just like other professions. 

He said, "It is a well known fact that quality teachers are central to overcoming the challenge of low quality education in Nigeria, it is re-occurring 

that the quality of education in a country cannot rise above the quality of its teachers."

Registrar of (TRCN) said the core responsibility of the council was to promote professionalism and anybody who refuses to get registered, will be shown the way out of the teaching profession by January 2018.

Ajiboye said, "What we are saying is that any teacher who is qualified will be in school while anyone who is not qualified to be a teacher won't be allowed in the system again. If you are not registered with TRCN, you are not a teacher. This is not limited to government schools alone but the private schools are inclusive. The law that establishes TRCN covers both public and private schools.

"Government will make sure that the enforcement begins in January 2018. Therefore anybody that will stand in the front of our pupils, must be qualified."

President of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Mr. Michael Olukoya, said the advent of TRCN by making teaching a profession will bring about positive change in the attitude and previous conceptions of teachers in the country.

He said, "It will improve the standard of teaching in Nigeria. It will also help to discover the quack in the profession and uproot them. We teachers in the country are happy with the development and we are going to partner with TRCN to move this country to the next level."