This is clear case of extortion. What will happen to those teachers who were issued THE TRCN certificate without writing exam.

Klins2000:
Let me believe that this is limited to teachers in primary and secondary schools, and NOT lecturers in universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and colleges of agriculture.

Infact, government primary and secondary schools because I know fully well that private schools will not in any way discard their good teachers just because of mere paper called certificate.

This is a good step in the right direction, some days ago I came across a lady who was to receive her appointment letter from the office of a certain state's civil service commission, she couldn't write "original copy received by me". The officers were alarmed and when questioned about the school she finished from it was a University of education not even college.....what course she said B.Sc in Educational Management with specialty in Geography....They further asked her B. SC or B. Ed, his lady had a B.Ed but unfortunately couldn't differentiate between the two. The officers shook their heads and kept muttering is this the fellow going to teach our children. Unfortunately their hands were tied as they didn't know the powers that be that recommended her for appointment.
Teachers are also professionals so let them go through the rigour of becoming one. Our children's future can't be left in the hands of quacks.

trillville:
My opinion differs from the majority of people on this thread.

Is the problem with our public education system unqualified teachers or a confused political system that doesn't have it's priorities straight.

In capitalist America, quality primary and secondary school education is provided by the government to all citizens. In communist China, the same applies.
This is not a matter of whether the federal government or state government should be responsible.

A standard classroom should not have more than 25 students to a teacher. This is necessary.

Apart from education, the core functions of governments include health and security. Every other thing is Jara.

Today, parents struggle to get their kids admitted into unity schools. Why hasn't the government built more schools. Do they expect to provide the same amount of service given to 40 million Nigerians in 1960 to 200 million Nigerians in 2018?

The government would complain about lack of funding but what are they spend 90 percent of our oil revenue on unproductive public and civil servants. What percent of Nigerians work for the government? About 10 percent. So all the benefits of our wealth should only go to 10 percent of Nigerians?


Shouldn't the government first reduce it's unproductive civil servants in its various unproductive MDA'S first before reducing unqualified teachers in its extremely important education sector.

You cannot separate the "unproductive civil servants" issue from that of unqualified teachers, as they are also unproductive civil servants. Your "25 students to a class" reference is also off-point here, as it does no good to have fewer numbers of students in classes run by "teachers" who themselves know nothing. If all those civil servants in parastatals and MDAs had their title changed to "teacher" and were then told to go stand in classrooms for 8 hours a day, the student-teacher ratio could be slashed dramatically, but would Nigerians in or outside the classroom be better off in any way?

Nothing handled directly by the Nigerian government is or has ever been successful, and the only long-term solution to Nigeria's educational problems is extensive decentralization and possibly voucherization, creating space for competition where schools themselves will have strong incentives to rid themselves off worthless "teachers" who are empty upstairs. As long as education remains under direct government control, teaching will continue to be little more than a source of patronage jobs to be handed out to unqualified relatives, friends and political supporters.

lawalosky:
you say unqualified..
.
.
.
.
so who employed them in the first place??

You have perfectly captured why this initiative is nothing more than an exercise in futility. How can anyone expect the self-same government that has handed out teaching positions to the unqualified for political patronage to now be the one to remove the very sorts of people it enlisted in the first place? At best all that will happen is that older unqualified hacks who have lost their political godfathers will be replaced be new hacks whose godfathers are still in office, but for the students nothing will change for the better. The root of the problem is the over-centralized, government-controlled nature of the educational system itself, which no number of mass sackings will ever ameliorate.

There is simply no need for government at any level - local, state or federal - to be directly involved in running schools in Nigeria. Yes, the government should set minimum standards and appoint inspectors to enforce them, and yes, the government can provide standardized exams of the sort administered by WAEC (though the USA manages to get by without even these, as the SAT, AP and ACT exams are entirely privately-run), but there is simply no reason why universal primary and secondary education requires that government directly run schools and appoint teachers. The only "reason" why this mentality is never challenged is because education is yet another huge source of self-enrichment and patronage opportunities for politicians - the self-same reason why Nigeria's public educational system is now in tatters.

omohayek:

You cannot separate the "unproductive civil servants" issue from that of unqualified teachers, as they are also unproductive civil servants. Your "25 students to a class" reference is also off-point here, as it does no good to have fewer numbers of students in classes run by "teachers" who themselves know nothing. If all those civil servants in parastatals and MDAs had their title changed to "teacher" and were then told to go stand in classrooms for 8 hours a day, the student-teacher ratio could be slashed dramatically, but would Nigerians in or outside the classroom be better off in any way?

Nothing handled directly by the Nigerian government is or has ever been successful, and the only long-term solution to Nigeria's educational problems is extensive decentralization and possibly voucherization, creating space for competition where schools themselves will have strong incentives to rid themselves off worthless "teachers" who are empty upstairs. As long as education remains under direct government control, teaching will continue to be little more than a source of patronage jobs to be handed out to unqualified relatives, friends and political supporters.

This is why I like you, you bring up points that enable me to explain further.

The first issue is what percent of teachers aren't competent for their present roles. If you simply set out to fire 50 percent of teachers, do you have competent replacements already on ground?

With all other things being equal, teacher teaching fewer students will be more effective than one teaching many students.

The benefits of quality basic education to the Nigerian population are so many.

1. It will increase the disposable income of all parents in the country and it is a more effective way of reducing poverty than raising minimum wage.

2. It would lead to a rise in the value of the Naira as society becomes more equal and fewer rich people will imply fewer importation of luxury items. Rich people buy imported things. Poor people buy food and shelter.

3. It would raise our GDP growth rate. The buiding and furnishing of thousands of schools across the nation will act as a stimulus and will require lots of builders, carpenters, tailors and other craftsman to accomplish.

4. Secures our future. An illiterate is a future Boko Haram.

5. Provides a literate labour force. Today, hiring quality low skilled labor is the hardest task to accomplish in Nigeria because everyone wants to get rich over night and everyone believes in unmerited favor.

6. Will create an equitable way for Nigerians to benefit from their God given natural resources.

Finally you mentioned that government has failed to run anything effectively. I totally agree with you. My view is for government to build the schools and to fund the schools but that the schools be run by private boards manned mainly by the best principals and teachers in our private primary and secondary schools. These people know best what issues are in the system and how to solve them. Governments role will be to provide the standard for schools, the funding and general oversight duties. The schools must be managed by private boards as it is done in other democratic nations.

Ps
I like your idea of turning civil servants to teachers.

trillville:
My opinion differs from the majority of people on this thread.

Is the problem with our public education system unqualified teachers or a confused political system that doesn't have it's priorities straight.

In capitalist America, quality primary and secondary school education is provided by the government to all citizens. In communist China, the same applies.
This is not a matter of whether the federal government or state government should be responsible.

A standard classroom should not have more than 25 students to a teacher. This is necessary.

Apart from education, the core functions of governments include health and security. Every other thing is Jara.

Today, parents struggle to get their kids admitted into unity schools. Why hasn't the government built more schools. Do they expect to provide the same amount of service given to 40 million Nigerians in 1960 to 200 million Nigerians in 2018?

The government would complain about lack of funding but what are they spend 90 percent of our oil revenue on unproductive public and civil servants. What percent of Nigerians work for the government? About 10 percent. So all the benefits of our wealth should only go to 10 percent of Nigerians?


Shouldn't the government first reduce it's unproductive civil servants in its various unproductive MDA'S first before reducing unqualified teachers in its extremely important education sector.

you have a point

esthel:
This is a good step in the right direction, some days ago I came across a lady who was to receive her appointment letter from the office of a certain state's civil service commission, she couldn't write "original copy received by me". The officers were alarmed and when questioned about the school she finished from it was a University of education not even college.....what course she said B.Sc in Educational Management with specialty in Geography....They further asked her B. SC or B. Ed, his lady had a B.Ed but unfortunately couldn't differentiate between the two. The officers shook their heads and kept muttering is this the fellow going to teach our children. Unfortunately their hands were tied as they didn't know the powers that be that recommended her for appointment.
Teachers are also professionals so let them go through the rigour of becoming one. Our children's future can't be left in the hands of quacks.

So much ignorance in one post.

So someone who finished from a College of Education, is then better than a graduate?

This is a nice move

I think most of you commenting here don't know what the Government means by 'Qualified Teachers'.

To Government, an NCE holder is better qualified to teach, than a degree holder; especially someone who is not B.Ed. qualified, but B.A or B.Sc. And if you must teach with a B.A or B.Sc, then you must register and sit for an exam with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria.

Now this is where the problem lies.

Most, if not all our Colleges of Education are now nothing to write home about. In short, 90 percent of NCE graduates can't converse in English Language. In short, most, if not all big private schools no longer accept NCE holders. Graduates now do a far better job at teaching, than those who the Government are 'training' for the job.

For some of these graduates, they then register for the TRCN programme, and get the certification to teach without harassment from anyone. For most, they are not even registered. But does that take away the fact that they are better at what they do, compared to NCE holders that the Government see as more qualified? DEFINITELY!

There are several things wrong with our educational system. The Government is just trying to generate revenue by pressuring the thousands of graduates who are striving to make ends meet, to register for a TRCN certification that is very useless, and doesn't even add anything to the quality of what kids get from teachers.

The Government should instead focus on infrastructure and renumeration of teachers.

In 2020...the FG will begin sacking unqualified teachers in six states only. Until sacked... these teachers will continue to miseducate the children. It would be hell to get them to unlearn all the wrongs. We can see the impact of the unqualified English teachers in this forum with soooo many....graduates included.... using wrong words and don't even know..... loose instead of lose...chart/chat.... pack/park.... and some of these are the people aspiring to be successful bloggers.
Unqualified teachers should be removed from the classroom immediately. ..not allowed to continue poisoning the minds of our youths.

writerights:


Then who should?

Private organizations should run colleges and universities. Education is not cheap, it should be standardized and regulated, just like banking in Nigeria is.

Do you think banks and Telecom companies would be performing as they should if they were owned by the government and not given stiff regulations?

Government should focus on making university education accessible to students through college loans and scholarships

I hope they do this honestly!

Sacking teachers that they don't like is disgraceful.

Wat Abt dox with all d qualification u can think of but av nothing upstairs, abeg Fg park well.

Buhari the cert forger wants to sack those who atleast knw where their WAEC cert is at? The more the better. more people to join the movement to kick out the lifesss one.

trillville

Believe me, they are stylishly trying to fill the system with jihadist teachers.

If not, why are they bent on sacking of teachers. Why not send the teachers for further training the way every company & institutions send their staffs for annual training.

They also want to encourage the use of hijab in all primary schools throughout the country so that when the jihad breakout, they can easily identify muslims. But their plot is dead on arrival.

lawalosky:
you say unqualified..
.
.
.
.
so who employed them in the first place??

trillville

Oga, is it forbidden to send teachers on courses to improve themselves. Every organisation does that. My friend at NNPC just came back from company sponsored course.

Why are you people bent on supporting foolishness, wickedness and stupidity.

Ehiscotch:
To the guy above me, removing of unqualified teachers should be of utmost priority and should not be compared to anything else as these teachers are the block builders of the new generation and if people have proper education they'd be able to elect better leaders and get rid of half-baked or corrupt leaders.

This issue should never be politicized as teachers are the core of any fundamental development of a nation.

The same politician(s) you seek to remove would have to be done by enlightened and educated citizens.

A govt who is only interested in disengaging workers from their working place, where they weren't hired into by the same govt, and not providing jobs anywhere is a visionless and useless govt.

They should tell us what package they have for qualified teachers first before threatening those who toil day nd night to deliver their best at moulding lives

lukman:
The only sensible comment so far

Problem of dilapidated education system is not teachers rather government neglects bc their children do not attend public schools, if they believe without the mentioned certification one can't be a teacher is high time the Nysc stopped sending graduates without Nce and BEdu to our schools because they are not qualified