From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), said on Thursday that not all practicing teachers would stand qualified to benefit from the new welfare and career packages recently approved by the Federal Government.
The Council said that teachers that would benefit from the package must have, aside, being certified by TRCN, be up to date with relevant pedagogical skills and experience to impact knowledge and skills especially in the post COVID-19 era.
It said that the teachers should consistently be ready to learn, unlearn and relearn in order to remain relevant in 21st century world.
TRCN Registrar, Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, who disclosed the information to journalists in Abuja, on Thursday, encouraged teachers to take advantage of the forthcoming two-day conference of registered teachers scheduled for next week to gain additional information and skills on how to remain relevant in the profession.
He said: “By the time the implementation of the new policies starts in full, there would be lots of responsibility for TRCN as attested by President Muhammadu Buhari during last Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting. Teachers should brace up for the challenge of teaching in the post COVID-19 era in order to remain relevant. There’s going to lots of scrutiny on what we do as teachers, and more people may develop interest and want to join the profession.
“However, the age extension may likely not be automatic and applicable to all teachers. After 60 years of service, we would carry out evaluation exercise for such teachers to ascertain to confirm if they can work for additional five years.
“December 2019 was deadline for non licensed teachers to vacate the classroom. We started enforcement but COVID-19 disrupted it. But we are set to resume the enforcement as soon as we see improvement in COVID-19 situation.”
Prof. Ajiboye was optimistic that the forthcoming conference tagged “teaching and learning in the context of COVID-19 and other emergencies: Implementation for teacher professional development,” will provide a platform for teachers to get support and knowledge to be effective and relevant post COVID-19.
He confirmed that over 400, 000 teachers and education practitioners across Nigeria and beyond have indicated interest to participate in the two days conference, while renowned professors from across Nigeria and beyond have been contacted to deliver papers and make other presentations.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, at the 2020 annual ministerial press briefing on Thursday, confirmed that the implementation of retirement age and 40 years of service commenced January 1st, 2021, while the effective dates for other policies would be announced after the National Coordinating Committee submit its report.