The Federal Government is set to make degree minimum qualification for teaching in Nigeria.
The Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau made this statement while receiving visiting Finns ambassador to Nigeria, Pirjo Suomela-Chowdhury.
Shekarau “We must continuously increase the number of teachers, improve the quality of teachers, improve the condition of teacher training institutions and continuously review the curriculum of teacher education to make sure it catches up with the challenges, address that issues of teachers’ welfare and job security.”
He added that the federal government’s target is to make first degree as minimum teaching qualification.
Shekarau recalled that the level was raised to Teacher Grade III in the 1960s and later on in the early 70s, it was minimum of Grade II, this was later phased out in early 80s to minimum of NCE.
He added that “gradually we will get there. We hope that a day will come when all our schools, including pre-primary will be handled by university graduates.”