Professor Josiah Ajiboye
Registrar/Chief Executive,
Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN)
Sir,
NANS REJECTS TRCN’s NEW POLICY: IT IS NOT STUDENT-FRIENDLY AND TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE
The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) under your leadership, has recently announced a new policy regarding the expiration of teaching certificates, and this policy has sparked up outrage among several educators across the nation. The policy states that teaching certificates will now expire after a year if candidates who pass the qualification examination do not request for the certificate and they will have to re-register for the examinations. This is totally unacceptable to us, especially to millions of us who are studying education and related courses in our various institutions that will need these certificates to proceed to getting jobs in this perilous time of the nation’s economic hardship. I’m very sure that if the students were carried along (as major stakeholders), this kind of wicked policy wouldn’t have materialized in the first place.
As largest students organization and the umbrella body for all Nigerian Students, we consider this policy inhumane, inconsiderate and unfair to Nigerian Students, especially potential teachers, who are nation builders.
This policy is a draconian measure that fails to take into account the status of an average Nigerian Student and the realities of the Nigeria’s present economy. 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. Bodies like TRCN should be in the position of consolidating on the Renewed-Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR and derive means to make life better for your constituents in your own little way rather than wanting to use the present economic situation to exploit the Nigerian Students/teachers and waste our time. This will not work. Bear it in mind.
Apparently, your office’s insensitivity includes your unawareness that many of us cannot even afford your exam registration fees/certificate levy and that is why they have graduated and still not certified with you. This is to show that the country is in serious economic dilemma and all of us must work hand in hand to bring her back on her feet.
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. It would also lead to a decline in the quality of education in Nigeria, which is already in a state of crisis. The TRCN needs to remove this policy, taking into account the present delicate economic realities of the country.
As a matter of fact, many reasons may warrant non collection of the certificates within the year and these reasons defer. The reasons are not that important at the moment. What is very important and significantly necessary right now is for your office to release all withheld certificates to their bearers and immediately expunge this insensitive policy of yours from your system because it cannot work. Rather, we would advise that your office get back to your policy round table and deduce a reasonable and logical means of making your applicants collect their certificates on time or you add some extra charges for late collection. Then, certified teachers would not have to write the exams again because of what you may have wrongly termed as negligence out of self conclusion and from a point of egocentrism.
For your information, we will not relent in getting to the bottom of this matter and we will not stop agitating until you release the certificates at your disposal and erase the harsh policy. If it takes us to write the ministry of education and the Federal Government to expose this wickedness of your office, we will not hesitate to do so.
Therefore, we give your office an ultimatum of 5 working days to correct these anomalies and failure to do so, we shall relocate the headquarters of NANS to the TRCN, Abuja head office and turn your premises to our abode until our demands are met. This our intended action will also give us the opportunity to explain to Nigerians and the whole world the terrific nature of TRCN’s present administration.
Injustice to one is injustice to all.
Aluta Continua! Victoria Ascerta!
Yours in active struggle,
