The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria ,TRCN, has announced plans to secure a fiat from the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation to prosecute schools employing unqualified teachers.
Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, the Registrar/Chief Executive of TRCN, revealed this at a media parley in Abuja. He emphasized that the council, with the fiat, will have the power to enforce compliance and prosecute institutions employing unqualified teachers.
Ajiboye explained that while the law establishing TRCN provides the authority to prosecute, obtaining the fiat would facilitate the enforcement process. The TRCN is currently in discussions with the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation to secure the necessary fiat for prosecution. The move aims to address the issue of unqualified teachers in private schools, which are registered by state governments.
In his statement, Ajiboye outlined the challenges posed by the concurrent listing of education and the need to collaborate with state governments to verify the qualifications of teachers in private schools. He assured Nigerians that in 2024, the TRCN would shift its focus to private schools, particularly in enforcing compliance with teacher qualification standards.
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Additionally, Ajiboye provided an update on the recently conducted Professional Qualifying Examination for teachers, revealing that 3,963 teachers failed the examination out of the 15,753 who participated. The TRCN registrar highlighted the council’s achievements in 2023, including the conduct of PQE in over 100 institutions, online PQE for Nigerians in the diaspora, and inductions in more than 100 institutions.
Ajiboye reiterated the commitment of TRCN to improving the standards of the teaching profession, emphasizing that teaching is no longer an open field but a regulated profession. He noted that over 2.3 million teachers have been registered, with more than 400,000 fully licensed by the council. The TRCN’s focus on private institutions aligns with its goal of ensuring the quality and professionalism of the teaching workforce.
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