The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has called on the Federal Government to reverse its decision to stop funding the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).
The National President of NUT, Audu Amba, made the call at the Public Presentation of the Professional Standards for School Leadership in Abuja on Thursday.
Amba said that the decision to stop funding the council was inimical, noting that the council was critical to the development of teaching profession in the country.
“TRCN is the regulatory body that professionalise everyone that teaches in primary, secondary schools and universities.
“We woke up overnight to hear that the federal government decided to stop funding of the TRCN.
“I have never seen anywhere in the world that a regulatory body that supposed to regulate the teaching profession is not funded; do we really mean business when doing this?
He said that the country placed much attention to other aspects while giving lip service to the teaching profession, the real implementer of other sectors.
“Are we saying that teachers are inconsequential? We will not allow it go as leaders of teachers.
“We will agitate and make sure government fund TRCN because we have gone a long way as the leading country in Africa, so we can’t be seen retracting,” he said.
Speaking on professionalism, the Registrar/Chief Executive of TRCN, Prof. Josiah Ajiboye said the review of the Professional Standards for School Leadership was undertaken to reflect the evolving instructional roles of school leaders.
Ajiboye said it was also to provide a comprehensive guiding framework that addressed the contemporary challenges and opportunities within the education system.
According to him, while the existing professional standards emphasised the administrative responsibilities of school leaders, there was a recognised need to establish comprehensive standards that address their crucial role in instructional leadership.
“This charged them with the responsibility to provide professional learning for teachers and are considered as the most effective type of leadership practice for improving student learning outcomes.
“The document is setting the stage for a transformative impact on the educational landscape of Nigeria.
“The standards outlined herein are intended to promote a culture of continuous improvement, professional growth, and accountability among school leaders,” he said.
He expressed hope that the standards would be embraced and implemented with the seriousness and dedication they deserved while contributing significantly to the enhancement of educational quality and equity across the country. (NAN)
