Nigerian Government to end unprofessionalism in Education Sector

The Nigerian government has said it will end the practices of quacks teaching in basic schools by December 31st 2019, as it concludes arrangement to begin implementation of its policy on allowing only qualified & licensed teachers to teach in schools by January 2020.

The government has also said that teachers welfare will be on the top of its agenda in the Year 2020, so as to attract and retain best hands in the profession.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono disclosed this in Abuja while addressing journalists after monitoring the Computer Based Test (CBT) Professional Qualifying Examinations organised by the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria TRCN.

Echono said that the Federal Government was looking at key fundamental and foundation of education in the country hence its determination to achieve better standard of quality teachers.

According to him, “we must have committed and qualified teachers; we also want to ensure that teaching environment is in order, teachers welfare will be our top priority in order to attract more hands into the teaching profession and to avoid migration to other greener pastures.

“We have done a lot in terms of our curriculum and we will continue to enhance the curriculum to make it more responsible to the needs of tomorrow and challenge that will envisage for the future,” he added.

Speaking on Local Government Autonomy bill, Echono said that President Muhammadu Buhari has teachers’ welfare at heart by ensuring they get their monthly salary in good time.

“We are pushing that they should have direct fund charge, so that they will be paid same way our legislators, judiciary officers are being paid.

“We are looking to other allowances to encourage teachers in the area of science, rural post and we going to be rolling out big Adult Literacy Programme in 2020.

“We discovered that over 50 million of our people missed out first opportunity to get Education. We do not want waste of money and build new schools or facilities. We will use existing facilities all across the country, “Echono stated.

He disclosed that the programme would be run in the evening or weekends to help promote adults education for those working to support their family.

“Our teachers will now have additional work and income by teaching them the curriculum that we have developed.

“The programme will also focus on girl child and we have 11 focused states,” he said.

He commended the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) for organising what he described as “transparent exams process” in 47 CBT centres across country.