12,539 teachers nationwide took the Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE) in May, which ran from Thursday through Saturday.
Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) administers the qualifying examination to assess teachers’ professional competency.
Dr. Jacinta Ezeahurukwe, Director of Certification and Licencing at the TRCN, stated in an interview with reporters in Abuja on Saturday that the test made sure that certified teachers continued to teach in classrooms all throughout the nation.
According to Ezeahurukwe, the exercise’s effects were felt extensively both domestically and abroad.
According to her, the policy of “no PQE, no staying in the classroom” was implemented in 2019 with deadlines, which led to a large number of instructors obtaining their PQE.
“Everybody knows that the teaching profession has gotten to a level that is highly recognised internationally and nationally.
“And everybody knows that you cannot just walk into a class now and say you are a teacher, you must be registered and licensed by TRCN for you to practice.
“Since 2014 TRCN has started this PQE and it has come to stay. Even internationally, they have recognised it and they have looked at the processes of examination,” Ezeahurukwe stated.
According to her, people find it quite convincing that Nigeria, one of the African nations that permits its teachers to seek for Qualifying Teachers Status, has been awarded this status by the UK.
Ezeahurukwe went on to say that the qualifying test determined the fundamental skills and information that teachers need to have in order to meet professional teaching requirements.
According to her, Benue state had the most applicants enrolled for the May diet examination (1,416), followed by Osun state (1,410).
She added that Ebonyi State had 69 people, while Cross River State had 59 had the least applicants.
She said that Nigerians are now conscious of the significance of passing the qualifying tests and that very few schools in any state hire instructors who do not hold a TRCN certification and licence.
Ezeahurukwe maintains that YRCN is ensuring that there is a qualified teacher in every state and organisation that hires teachers for elementary, middle, and high schools.
In her words:
“We have introduced this to our graduating education students and are also caught at the point of graduation.
“It is an induction at the point of graduation where education students in Colleges of Education, faculties and institute of education, after their final exams apply for the TRCN PQE.
“The exams is conducted for them in schools, so majority of our graduating students registered at the point of graduation so they are not outside to battle with those who graduated earlier.”
Also Read:
cc: Daily Post Ng
