By Our Reporter
As the world prepares for Teachers Day, the Minister of State for Education, Mr Chukwuemeka Nwajuiba, has expressed optimism that a greater proportion of Nigerians would access quality education toward achieving vision 20:2030.
Nwajuiba spoke in Abuja on Wednesday at a news conference to herald the 2019 World Teachers’ Day Celebration holding on Oct. 5.
He said that no nation could rise above the level of her teachers, adding that government was conscious of the quality of teachers and learners.
According to him, it was in view of the prevalence of unqualified and incompetent teachers in the education system that the ministry re-positioned the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), to professionalise teachers and the teaching profession.
“The ministry is systematically and fully committed to constant upgrading of the teaching standards and contents to boost teacher quality in Nigeria.
“We are leaving no stone unturned in our quest to ensure that teachers are professionally qualified, empowered and adequately remunerated, motivated and supported for efficiency and effectiveness.
“The National Teachers Institute (NTI) has been in the forefront of capacity building of primary school teachers to improve their pedagogical skills.
“The institute has been engaged in upgrading under-qualified and unqualified teachers by providing courses of instruction bearing in mind that the exit date for unqualified teachers in our educational system remains Dec. 31.”
Nwajuiba also disclosed that the ministry had put in place various mechanisms toward strengthening the implementation of teacher education, adding that quality was being reviewed while monitoring instruments had been upgraded to meet global standards.
He said that the bill seeking the review of retirement age of teachers from 60 years to 65 years was before the National Assembly, stressing that all issues around it were “almost sorted out”.
The minister called on development partners, private sector, civil societies and every citizen to join hands with government at all levels to invest in education as a tool for national development.
Meanwhile, Dr Muhammed Idris, National President, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), has commended the collaborative efforts of the ministry, NUT and other stakeholders toward the success of the quest for the review of the retirement age of teachers.
Idris called on those involved not to rest on their oars until the bill saw the light of day.
Earlier, Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, Chief Executive Officer, TRCN, had said that the council was committed to improving the quality of education in the country.
Ajiboye assured Nigerians of TRCN’s readiness to ensure that the nation’s teachers were at par with their colleagues the world over, adding that the council had introduced innovations such as professional examinations and digital training programme, to address emerging challenges.
The World Teachers’ Day was established in 1994 to commemorate the signing of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO recommendation at the special intergovernmental conference on the status of teachers held in Paris.
The theme for this year’s celebration is “Young Teachers, the Future of the Profession”. (NAN)
