TRCN trains teachers on ICT skills

ABOUT 100 teachers from 10 states of the federation are currently undergoing intensive digital literacy training in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, organised by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).

The five-day ‘Capacity Building Training on Digital Literacy for Teachers at the Basic and Post-Basic Levels’ is holding at the ICT Centre, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, and will be rounded off tomorrow (Friday).

The programme was flagged off in Kano last week by the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, and will be held at four different centres across the country.

Apart from Kano and Oyo State, the programme is expected to hold at two other centres – Imo and Gombe.

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Speaking at the opening of the event on Monday, the registrar and chief executive of the TRCN, Professor Josiah Ajiboye, said the training was necessitated by the need to equip teachers with the requisite ICT skills to make them function effectively in the modern environment that is rapidly evolving into a digital environment.

“Just as the world is changing, so must the teachers adapt their roles and responsibilities,” he said.

Ajiboye said the training is being conducted with IC3-licensed product; and that the teachers after the training would be given certificate as internationally recognized digital literacy teachers.

Participants at the digital training came from Edo, Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Niger, Kogi, Osun and Kwara states.

Ajiboye said that the training would be rounded off with a test on Friday, and that the teacher with the best result would be given a plaque and a laptop computer. The presentation of the award, he said, would be done in Abuja by the minister.

The TRCN registrar said he is not only interested in teacher professionalism, but also in teachers’ welfare.

He said, “As at now, we are pursuing the issue of 65 years (retirement age) for teachers as is being done in tertiary institutions. TRCN submitted a report when the minster minuted (sic) it to us; and to back that demand by the NUT.

“Also, at the level of TRCN, we are developing what we call the teacher career progression policy document. When we have that, if you enter into the profession, you will be able to know where you are going – up to directorate cadre level.”

Speaking at the event, the 1st Vice President of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Mr Kayode Akosile, appreciated the TRCN registrar for the new feat.

He also underscored the importance of teachers being digitally proficient, urging them to “make very good use of this opportunity so that at the end of the day, you would be able to beat your chest and say you are leaving this place a better equipped teacher.”

Officials of the NUT in the participating states were present at the event.