The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has inducted 900 graduates of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze, Anambra State, into the teaching profession. The inductees were among the successful candidates that took the 2021 professional qualifying examination held in the institution by the TRCN.
Speaking at the induction, held at the Dr. Alex Ekwueme Auditorium of the college, the registrar/chief executive of TRCN, Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, commended the leadership of the institution for giving high premium to TRCN induction over the years. He said the induction of teachers into the council has remained one of the best international practices and quality assurance benchmark in the drive for the professionalization of teaching.
Ajiboye, who was represented at the ceremony by the director, regulation, accreditation and enforcement of TRCN, Enilolobo Gbolahan, said the council serves as the gateway to teachers’ professional life and personal development and growth. He noted that the council was established to bring about rapid transformation in teaching, enhance the quality of teacher education programmes, professional conduct and overall status of teachers at all levels of the education system.
He rated the institution high in ICT compliance, and praised the provost and her management and other teaching staff for giving attention to the induction of successful graduates into the TRCN.
In her address, the provost, Dr. Tessy Okoli, said the college keyed into the directive of the Federal Government to weed out unqualified teachers from schools. She said the institution would not relent in producing quality teachers that would invest their knowledge and skills in the nation’s education sector.
“At the inception of this administration, the management laid out a clear policy on human resource development by encouraging both teaching and non-teaching staff to enhance their competence by pursuing further academic training and retraining programmes. This career enhancement policy has remained effective till date,” she said.
Okoli noted that the college has remained a strong advocate of professionalism of the teaching profession, by ensuring that all teaching staff working in the institution get the required certification: “It is pertinent to note that our partnership with the TRCN over the years, in the certification of qualified candidates, has yielded huge benefits. Thousands of our college graduates inducted into the TRCN serve in different capacities in schools across the country. We are so proud of their achievements.”
She charged the inductees to become the redemptive force of the teaching profession by developing better attitudes to work and acquisition of new skills that would make them relevant in this information age.
Also speaking, the Director, PDE and Desk Officer, TRCN, FCET Umunze, Dr Cecilia Amuche Ekemezie, said the inductees were among the successful graduands, who sat for the 2021 professional qualifying examination held in the institution. She thanked the college management for providing all the necessary support towards the success of the programme and teacher education in the country.
Responding on behalf of the inductees, Prof Ejikeme Paul, from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), commended the quality of teaching and resource persons for the college Professional Diploma in Education (PDE) programme. He advised fellow inductees to live up to professional expectations, and become vanguards of positive change in the teaching career.
The highpoint of the ceremony was the administration of teachers’ oath of allegiance and presentation of the TRCN certificates to the graduates by Dr. Okoli, Mr Enilolobo and the Anambra State Coordinator of TRCN, Lady Rosemary Otikpa.
Other members of the college management present at the induction ceremony include: the Registrar, Bessie Nkah, the Deputy Provost, Dr Christopher Ugwuogo, and the Librarian, Dr Samson Arome Agada.
In a related development, an accreditation team led by Prof. Nkechi Esomonu from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, were also in the college for the resource verification/re-accreditation exercise of the Professional Diploma in Education (PDE) run by the institution to ensure that the programme meets the minimum standard. The team inspected learning facilities, screened the teaching staff, academic resource and other areas to ensure quality PDE programme in the institution.