From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has inducted 1, 297 new teachers at Nwafor Orizu College of Education Nsugbe (NOCEN), Anambra State.
The Registrar/Chief Executive of TRCN Professor Josiah Olusegun Ajiboye who inducted the teachers during the 6th induction/oath taking ceremony at NOCEN said that the council was determined to flush out quacks in the teaching profession.
Those inducted include graduands from Post Diploma in Education (PDE), Bachelors of Education (B. ED) and National Certificate for Education (NCE) graduands for the 6th TRCN induction of the College.
The Registrar who was represented by the Director, Registration, Accreditation and Enforcement of the Council Mr. Enololobo Gbolaham said that the ceremony was most important legal basis of admission into a profession and a condition for a professional practice.
He commended the NOCEN for turning out professional teachers, saying that the college has been enlisted among institutions that have supported TRCN in the achievement of her mandate and in the march towards the Professionalization of teaching in Nigeria.
“Through induction, the Teaching, profession captures new entrants just before they leave their institutions. This early capture creates professional consciousness that would guide them throughout their professional life. This induction helps to eliminate the certificate forgery plaguing the teaching profession, because the council receives the record of education graduates directly from the universities or Colleges of Education.
“Induction also confers legal and professional status on new teachers through the administration of teachers oath of allegiance and other provisions of the teachers registration council Act Cap T3 of 2004.
“Nigeria needs teachers who will meet the expectations of the nation; teachers who will help the nation raise generation of citizens whose performance will meet the international standards; a generation who will be prosperous, vibrant and peaceful.
“We can’t achieve the expected quality education without competent teachers and educational administrators, well equipped with the desirable knowledge, skills and effective operations of the education system.
“The Council is on a mission to reposition teaching in the country. The new regime of welfare packages for teachers announced recently by the Minister of Education and the development of policy on career path which is geared towards charging the narrative of teachers’ career from “scheme of service” approach to a career based strategy aimed at incorporating the principle of performance by the council and approved by National Council on Education are indicators that teaching is gradually taking its exotic position as mother of all profession.
“I urge the inductees to take the exercise with highest level of seriousness and commitment to professionalism. The oath is the most important statutory requirement for admission into any profession. It is therefore, an international practice and benchmark” Ajiboye stated.
The Provost of NOCEN Dr. Ifeyinwa Osegbo charged the new teachers to be good ambassadors of the school and should not compromise the ethics of the profession and always sustain the standard of eduction.
She urge the teachers to update and expound their knowledge horizon and be able to utilize the various aspect of technological tools and materials.
“All these will facilitate teaching and learning that will in return prepare students to compete in the global world. Teachers should show dedication to duty. It is my prayer that the TRCN achieves these goals for which it was established with the cases and problems in the education sector notwithstanding.
While noting that the school will not relent in assisting inductees to achieve their goal in life, she reminded them of the college school of entrepreneurship and digital innovation and enjoined them to avail themselves of further opportunity to be trained to build their capacity as the 21st century innovative international teachers.
She said that the successes recorded by the College was the full support accorded to it by governor Willie Obiano, commissioner for science and tertiary education, the governing council, management and staff of the college who have vowed to make the college one of the best in the country.
Some of the inductees Chibueze Obi, Agatha Nweze, Esther Njoku thanked the management and staff of the NOCEN for making them what they are today by imparting the knowledge in them to be teachers and commended the TRCN for accepting them to be professional teachers in the country.
“We promised to be good ambassadors of the College. We shall make the college, the state and TRCN proud in the discharge of our duties. We shall bring our professional training to bear and try to raise the standard of the education,” Njoku assured.
The event featured the administering of oath on the inductees by council members of TRCN which includes Dame Chika Osinomumu, Chairman TRCN Induction Committee, Lady Rosemary Chinelo Otikpa, Coordinator Anambra State, Mr. G.C. Ilechukwu TRCN Coordinator NOCEN.