Prof. Segun Ajiboye, Registrar, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has said that the nationwide verification of teachers’ professional certification is not to witch hunt anyone but to sanitise the teaching profession.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the TRCN monitoring teams have begun the verification exercise targeted at rooting quackery out of the profession in Oyo and other states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Ajiboye, in an interview with NAN on Monday, stated that the nationwide monitoring exercise received the support of states and schools.
According to him, no serious country will allow its future leaders to be taught by quacks and charlatans.
He said that the monitoring of compliance with the Federal Government’s directives commenced in 33 states on Monday, with state monitoring leaders moving from school to school.
Ajiboye, who maintained that the quality of teachers would affect the quality of education and learning outcomes, stated that the Federal Government would not trade teachers’ professionalism for anything.
He said: “The TRCN monitoring of compliance commences nationwide today (Monday) in 33 states and the FCT, with TRCN officials and state monitoring team leaders moving from school to school.
“The exercise is not aimed at witch-hunting anybody, but primarily to sanitise the teaching profession.
“This is because no serious country will leave the education of its future leaders to charlatans. If we want to get our education right, we must first get it right with the teachers.
“Quality teachers will translate into quality education. The reports reaching us across the states indicated that people are ready to ensure standards in the profession.
“Indeed, some have picked professional qualifying examination forms.”
Ajiboye said that TRCN had received reports from Kaduna, Delta, Lagos, Rivers, Plateau, Jigawa and Aba, among other states, on the verification exercise.
“We are stepping it up and quality will not be mortgaged. Teaching is for professionals and will not be allowed to be a dumping ground for quacks,” he said.