Josiah Ajiboye, Registrar and Chief Executive of the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria ( TRCN ), has announced that not less than 17, 606 teachers across the country are to sit for the 2020 qualifying examinations from November 12 to 14.
Mr. Ajiboye, at a news conference on Tuesday, November 10, 2020, in Abuja, revealed Osun state to top the list with a total of 1, 727 candidates, followed by 1, 623 candidates from Adamawa, 934 from Nasarawa State and 850 candidates from the FCT.
However, the Registrar stated that Jigawa and Ekiti states were excluded from the 2020 qualifying examinations having failed to meet the benchmark of 100 candidates per state. He noted that the expected number of about 40, 000 was reduced to 17, 606, and also a cut in the number of batches which was reduced from three to two due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The registrar added that the examination date had also been staggered so as to ensure compliance to social distancing rules and other relevant COVID-19 guidelines. Following this, Mr. Ajiboye in his statement said, ‘We organised a minimum of two qualifying examinations in a year. Last year we conducted three batches of examination but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we made it two batches this year.’
Adding that, ‘The effect of the pandemic was so much that learning almost ceased, but for the emergency remote learning techniques like radio and television we adopted.’
He further said, ‘When we started the computer-based test in 2018, it was as if we knew there was going to be COVID-19 which would change the way teaching and learning is conducted.
‘With this development, teachers who are not technology savvy are now focused on learning how to use technology in teaching and we are happy about that.’
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The registrar while citing the educational system of Finland as the best in the world, commended the federal government for making effort to improve teachers’ welfare in the country, while assuring TRCN’s commitment for continual collaboration with relevant stakeholders in ensuring improved quality of teachers.
Photo Credit: Vanguard
