The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has refuted claims by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) that it was asking people holding its certificates to rewrite professional qualifying examinations.
In a statement in Abuja yesterday, the registrar of TRCN, Prof. Josiah Ajiboye dismissed the claims which were contained in a letter by the senate president of NANS, Akinteye Babatunde.
Ajiboye explained that the TRCN certificate is acquired once in a lifetime, adding that once acquired, it is valid for life, and only the TRCN license is renewable every three years as being done in other professions.
Babatunde had in a letter incorrectly credited TRCN with a certificate renewal policy, raising concerns that it would further impoverish Nigerian teachers and lead to a shortage of teachers as many may fail to renew their certificates.
Describing the alleged policy as draconian and insensitive, he said it failed to take into account the status of an average Nigerian student and the realities of Nigeria’s present economy.
He had stated that reasons for the non-collection of certificates from TRCN within the year may vary, calling on the council to release all withheld certificates to their bearers and immediately expunge the alleged insensitive policy of its system.
“Apart from the fact that this insensitive policy of yours is a time waster, it will also in no time add salt to the nation’s injuries of joblessness and poverty.
“Furthermore, the policy has raised concerns about its impact on the quality of education in Nigeria.
If teachers are forced to leave the profession due to the undue expiration of their certificates, there would definitely be a shortage of qualified teachers, which would have a negative impact on the quality of education.
Ajiboye responded that TRCN’s new policy is on the validity of TRCN professional qualifying examination results and not a renewal of its certificates.
