Politics

15,750 teachers take professional qualifying exams nationwide

At least, more than 15,750 teachers sat for the November Diet of the Professional Qualifying Examination conducted by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), for teachers across the country.

The examination is part of effort to ensure registration and certification of qualified teachers by the Council across the country.

Director, Certification and Licensing, TRCN, Dr Jacinta Ezeahurukwe, who spoke with newsmen during monitoring of the exercise in Abuja, said the examination would ensure that teachers were licenced before going into the classrooms.

She disclosed that the Computer-Based Examination actually commenced on 3rd November 2023 nationwide and spread over a few days to avoid overcrowding and disorderliness at the approved examination centres.

She said: “TRCN PQE is taking place all over the nation, it started on Nov.23 in some states, some other states wrote yesterday and today the remaining states are writing.

“In all we have 15,750 teachers writing the examination for the batch B across the country. There was a time we conducted exams for over 100,000 candidates. Our target is for those that have not registered.

“The exam is mandatory because teaching is a profession and for every profession, there must be a professional qualifying examination.

“One of the features of a profession is that apart from getting the academic qualification, the person must have a qualifying examination and must be registered and license.

“If you don’t write this examinations how do we know you are qualified to be registered as a teacher. So this examination is not testing subject knowledge, it’s testing the professional knowledge of the teaching profession,” she said.

Ezeahurukwe said that the qualifying examination provided the content at the foundational knowledge that a teacher must possess and exhibit, saying this is however contained in the teachers’ professional standards.

She disclosed that the result is expected to be released in two weeks, saying those who sailed through the exercise would be licensed to practice.

“This is a computer exam and we expect that as candidates are writing the computers are marking. However, we still take our time to sieve out the results, analyse them, look at them and have the management to consider them and approve them.

“The exams written in batches will not in any way lead to malpractices as no two persons write the same exams.

“The questions are jogged, different categories have their own questions. The question for category D, which is for NCE holders is different from category C- first degree or Bachelor of Education or PGD.

“Questions for category B-Masters degree are also different from that of category A, those with PHD. So the questions are never the same, they are according to your category,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, David Adejo, who lauded the conduct of the examination by TRCN noted that it would go a long way in improving the quality of teachers in the country.

Adejo who was represented by the Director of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement in the ministry, Dr Yusuf Saidi, said it would also encourage quality teaching in schools.

He called for more support for the council to deliver on its mandate in ensuring that Nigerian teachers were licensed to do their jobs.

“In any profession, we have a regulatory body, so what they need now is the necessary support to carry out their mandate.

“So with this, you will see that the quality of teachers we produce will be as desired and as required. If you have a professional that anything goes there, this will regulate them.

“The TRCN is making sure that the same person that registered for the exams is the same person writing the exams.

“So no one can go in there and write for anybody. This will go along ong way in improving the quality of teachers in this country,” he said.

Speaking with some of the candidates, they expressed confidence in the examinations, saying that it would help to wield out quacks from the system.

Dr Olu-Andrew Kayode, Nasarawa State Secretary of National Association of Private Schools (NAPPS), said the process of the examination would help to improve the quality of teachers in the country.

According to him, the world is going digital and “we must not be left behind as a nation, gradually we are getting it so that we can of course meet the global standards with other nations of the world.

“So far, the process is very free, as an educationist, I want to say that the examination is very simple to approach and to allay the fears of people that thinks CBT is something that is very difficult.

“With what I have experienced today, just a knowledge of simple computer approach and ability to read and write will help you to excel in these exams.

“The process of the examination will help to improve the quality of teachers. It is essential and gradually everyone will go digital in improving their knowledge,” he said.

Speaking on the treatment of teachers at different levels, Kayode said the professionalisation of the exams would assist in phasing out the quacks as the rightful owners of the profession.

“We are taking over and with time I know the government also will treat us like other professions,” he said.

Another candidate, Mr Luka Gabi, commended TRCN for the introduction of CBT in her examinations while calling for upgrade.

“The experience is a memorable one. This is a professional exam compared with other professionals. This exam is an indication that teaching profession is upgraded with standards.

“CBT is a growing exercise in the country. With the experience here today in the class, the systems are all working well, the hitches were minor and arrested.

“So it’s quite a good one but we are not there yet, we expect upgrading of the system to deliver effective service to the people,” he said.

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