MAKING TEACHING AN ENVIABLE PROFESSION IN NIGERIA: THE NEW MANDATES FOR THE TEACHERS’ REGISTRATION COUNCIL OF NIGERIA (TRCN)

Andrew E. Ojıemhenkele, Unity Ofangbonmu, Oyaziwo Aluede, Joseph A. Emosoga

Abstract


Teaching is a very noble and rewarding profession. It is very important for nation building in its role in facilitating the process of building the knowledge and skills needed in all other professions. Teachers play a pivotal role in the entire educative process; imparting knowledge, skills, values and mentoring of learners. They equally instruct, guide and prepare the young generation for all-around and holistic mental, physical, cognitive, affective and psychomotor development. Notwithstanding these lucid and unassailable facts, teaching as a profession in Nigeria is still evolving because of its numerous challenges, like poor funding of the education sector, decaying infrastructure, and poor public perception of teachers. Despite these obvious challenges, making teaching enviable by ensuring that it is fully professionalized is akin to improving the quality of education and building public confidence in the teaching profession. This paper, therefore, explored the roles of TRCN in transforming teaching into an enviable profession, so as to make it attractive to its practitioners and the general public. Some of the responsibilities of TRCN are to regulate the teaching profession, set standards for teacher education and practice, and advocate for the welfare of teachers. By promoting teachers’ certification, continuous professional development, and public awareness, TRCN aims at enhancing the quality of education delivery and eventual elevation of the public status of teachers in Nigeria. The need to implement the National Policy on Education regarding internship for teachers and promulgate the law to establish the Nigeria Teachers’ Association, among others are to be vigorously pursued by TRCN, while teachers are being admonished to commit themselves to professionalism and prioritize their service above rewards, the government on its part should strive to invest more on the training and re-training of teachers.

 

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teaching, teacher quality, teacher credentialing, teaching profession

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v12i9.6246

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