The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has called on the Federal Government to reverse its decision to stop funding the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).
National President of NUT Audu Amba made the appeal at the public presentation of the Professional Standards for School Leadership in Abuja yesterday. According to him, the council is critical to the development of the teaching profession in the country and, as such, stopping its funding is inimical to growth.
He lamented that the country places much attention to other aspects while giving lip service to the teaching profession, ‘the real implementer of other sectors’.
Amba said: “TRCN is the regulatory body that professionalises everybody that teaches in primary, secondary and universities. We woke up overnight to hear that the Federal Government has stopped funding the TRCN. I have not seen anywhere in the world where a regulatory body that should regulate the teaching profession is not funded. Do we really mean business when doing this?
“Are we saying that teachers are inconsequential? We will not allow it to go as leaders of teachers. We will agitate and make sure the government funds TRCN because we have gone a long way as the leading country in Africa, so we can’t be seen retracting back.”
The Registrar/Chief Executive of TRCN, Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, said the review of the Professional Standards for School Leadership was undertaken to reflect the evolving instructional roles of school leaders.
Prof. Ajiboye said it was also to provide a comprehensive guiding framework that addresses the contemporary challenges and opportunities within the education system.
According to him, while the existing professional standards emphasise the administrative responsibilities of school leaders, there was a recognised need to establish comprehensive standards that address their crucial role in instructional leadership.
He said: “This charges them with the responsibility to provide professional learning for teachers which is considered the most effective type of leadership practice for improving student learning outcomes. The document is setting the stage for a transformative impact on the educational landscape of Nigeria…”
Minister of Education Prof Tahir Mamman said the government is committed to implementing teachers’ schemes as a way of improving the quality of education in the country.