FG orders TRCN to flush out unqualified teachers from classrooms

The Federal Government has directed the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria to completely eliminate unqualified teachers from the classrooms.

It also asked the council to revoke licenses of teachers who tarnish the dignity of the profession.

Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, gave the directive during the inauguration of the 5th Governing Board of the TRCN in Abuja. The directive came just as the Council is struggling for survival following the decision of the Federal Government to stop funding it.

Recall that the Federal Government in 2023 announced the stoppage of budgetary allocations for professional bodies and councils, with effect from January 2024.

The circular then from Budget Office of the Federation dated June 26, 2023 with reference number: DG/BDT/GEN. CORR/2016/XII/3067, asked those affected to begin to make adjustments early so they can continue to run their organisations seamlessly after the government might have withdrawn its financial support.

According to the memo, the decision was in line with the recommendation of the Presidential Committee on Salaries (PCS).

 “I wish to inform you that, the Presidential Committee on Salaries (PCS), at its 13th meeting, approved the discontinuation of budgetary allocation to Professional Bodies/Councils effective  January 1, 2024.

 “The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to inform you that, in compliance with PCS’s directive, this Office (Budget Office of the Federation) will no longer make budgetary provisions for your institution, which means that you will be regarded henceforth as a self-funded organization.

 “For the avoidance of doubt, you will be required, effective January 1, 2024, to be fully responsible for your personnel, overhead, and capital expenditures,” the memo said.

In education, TRCN, Computer Registration Council, Librarians Registration Council,  among others were affected by the policy.

Since then TRCN had lost its steam and vibrancy brought to the Council by its former Registrar and Chief Executive, Professor Josiah Ajiboye, largely because of lack of resources to executive its programmes after payment of salaries.

The council is now unable to fund mandatory training programmes for teachers and is extremely incapacitated to carry out any enforcement drive as a regulatory agency.

Several appeals by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and other critical stakeholders for the Federal Government to restore funding of TRCN because of its strategic position as the only agency with direct mandate of ensuring professionalism, quality and welfare of teachers in the country, have not yielded positive response from the Government.

But speaking during the inauguration of the TRCN’s new Board, the Minister of Education, said it would no longer “business as usual” for the teaching profession in the country as Nigeria was poised to enforce best practices in the teaching profession.

Alausa said: “Today marks not only the formal activation of a statutory governance structure but also a renewed commitment to professionalizing the teaching profession and repositioning our education system under the Renewed Hope Agenda of our dear President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.

“We are also not merely inaugurating a board today, but igniting a revolution in the standards, dignity, and future of Nigeria’s teaching profession.

“Every Nigerian child deserves a certified professional with no exceptions.”

He charged the Council to leverage digital tools to streamline teacher certification, track continuous professional development (CPD), and anticipate the evolving demands of a modern learning environment, including artificial intelligence (AI) integration and hybrid instruction.

The Minister charged members of the council to enforce the ethical code of the profession with courage and praise excellence where it exists.

He also admonished the council to work closely with state governments, teacher unions, and global education bodies like UNESCO to elevate our standards to global benchmarks.

“Let us emulate the best. In Finland, for example, teachers are revered like doctors. We must strive toward that ethos here in Nigeria, where our teachers are celebrated not just as facilitators of knowledge, but as nation builders.

“This administration, under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR has made it clear that no education system can rise above the quality of its teachers. Therefore, the Ministry is pursuing numerous initiatives to ensure teacher quality and welfare.”

The Chairman, Governing Board, TRCN, Comrade Mustapha Saliu, appreciated President Tinubu and the Minister of Education for the confidence reposed in the council members.

He assured the Minister of the Board’s unwavering commitment to deliver on the mandate given to it.

Reiterating the importance of teachers not only to the learners but to the society at large, the chairman urged members of the board to work assiduously to reset the teaching profession for the benefit of the learner and the good of the society.

Saliu appealed to President Tinubu to restore the funding of TRCN, stressing that funding of the Council, especially to enable it to pay workers’ salaries, would go a long way to boost their morale.

The Registrar of TRCN, Dr Ronke Soyombo, commended the minister and President Tinubu for the good work they are doing in the country’s education sector.

She said that the council was poised to carry every stakeholder in the teaching profession along and ensure that Nigerian teachers are well equipped with the professional knowledge and globally recognised.

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