TRCN Boss Warns Against Lowering Marks for Education Courses

The Registrar/Chief Executive, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) , Professor Segun Ajiboye, has warned that the current practice whereby cutoff marks for admission into colleges and Faculties of Education is been lowered, is dangerous for the future of education in the country.

This is just as he called on the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to make admission into colleges and faculties of education stricter to ensure the best brains enter the teaching profession.

Ajiboye who made the call while delivering the 488th inaugural lecture of the University of Ibadan titled, ‘Teaching : In the Classroom as a Regulator’, said lowering the cut-off mark for education courses will negatively impact the quality of people who eventually enter the classrooms to teach children.

Ajiboye who is a Professor of Social Studies, Civic and Environmental Studies at the premier university, insisted that cut-off mark for education related courses should rank among the highest.

According to him, “admission into colleges of education and Faculties of Education in Nigeria should be stricter. The current practice is dangerous for the future of our education. Those who want to teach our children should be the best in our society and not the dregs. The UTME cut-off marks into colleges of education and faculties if possible, should rank among the highest.

“The hydra-headed crisis of quality and quantity of teachers demands a strong policy response. Rebuilding the system should take into account how the once cherished vocation, the mother of all professions should attract the best brains and retain them.”

Ajiboye maintained that Nigeria needs to urgently review its teacher education policy and programmes in order to produce 21st century teachers, staying teacher training, welfare and an environment that promotes learning, must be pursued and provided for best learning outcomes.

The TRCN boss disclosed that COVID-19 has challenged Nigeria’s education system, adding that it is important that teacher education programme be reviewed to meet modern day challenges of globalisation and post-COVID era.

“We must urgently do a review of our teacher education policy and programme to produce teachers for the 21st century classroom. The rest of the world is not waiting for Nigeria. Professional training is critical, just as mastery of subject matter, teachers’ welfare and an environment that promotes learning.

“For quality education to be achieved there must be adequate quality teachers who have gone through quality training, hence the need to re-brand and re-profile the teacher. For this to be realised, there is the need to regulate the teaching profession with a view to ensuring the provision of quality teachers for quality teaching and learning,” he stressed.