Teachers’ qualifying exam will introduce professionalism —TRCN boss

The Registrar/Chief Executive of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Professor Josiah Ajiboye has advised every teacher in the country to take part in the ongoing registration exercise by the council.

Ajiboye who spoke with Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday said the council has concluded plans to introduce a professional qualifying examination before the end of this year, as a major step towards the furtherance of professionalism in the teaching profession.

He said: “By the end of the year, TRCN will introduce a professional qualifying examination; it would be mandatory for anyone who wants to be registered as a teacher to first sit for the examination, before they can be registered. Those who are not registered now will have to do a qualifying examination before they are registered. As we speak, TRCN has secured the permission of the Minister of Education to roll out the professional qualifying examination, as it is done in other professions.”

Ajiboye also reacted to some statements credited to members of some staff unions questioning the rationale behind the registration exercise. He stressed that the council’s activities fell within the ambit of the law.

“TRCN is not in contention or in conflict with any staff union; TRCN is not a union; it is a regulatory body. We are not contending with any union. What we want is that all teachers must be registered, and they must pay their annual dues regularly. TRCN is out purely for professionalism; our mandate is to be a regulatory authority.”

Meanwhile, the council has inducted recent graduates from the Faculty of Education at Lagos State University (LASU) at a ceremony which took place at the 3-in-1 Conference Hall at the University’s main campus, Ojo, Lagos, recently.

The induction which was presided over by Professor Ajiboye was also attended by the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Lanre Fagbohun.