TRCN SUSPENDS PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING EXAMS

Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has temporarily suspended the Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE) as basis of registration of teachers with the Council. The Registrar/Chief Executive of TRCN, Professor Addison Mark Wokocha, who disclosed this during a courtesy call on the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike, recently, said, the PQE was temporarily suspended to allow TRCN the time needed to make up the logistic lapses observed in the pilot Examinations held across the Country late last year.

The TRCN boss stated that his visit to the Chief of Defence Staff was to demonstrate the Council’s gratitude for the show of support and exemplary leadership received from the Defence Headquarters with respect to the professionalisation of teaching in Nigeria. In his words, “For nearly two years now, the Defence Headquarters has partnered with TRCN, mobilizing and sensitizing teachers under its control; registering them as professionals; building up their capacity and giving them opportunity to join their fellow teachers in the Country in several other professional programmes.”

The concrete demonstration of support from the Defence Headquarters, Wokocha said, recorded tremendous success and impacted very positively on the image of the teaching profession in Nigeria, most importantly the Defence schools. He noted that the support the Council is enjoying from the Defence Headquarters further shows that the nation has armed forces that have the interest of the nation at heart.

Professor Wokocha requested the Defence Headquarters to assist TRCN in ensuring that registered teachers in their schools get paid the Teachers Salary Structure (TSS), adding that there is need to sustain and ensure that only qualified and registered teachers are recruited into schools under the Defence Headquarters.

He however assured the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike that TRCN as Nigeria’s largest professional regulatory agency will do everything within its powers to sustain the existing relationship and work collaboratively in the efforts to raise the standard of education through the professional registration and development of the teachers.

In his response, the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike, commended TRCN for its giant strides aimed at raising the quality of teacher education in the Country. The Chief of Defence Staff who was represented by the Chief of Admin, Defence Headquarters, Steve Okpolo, said, “It is gratifying to know that TRCN is up and doing. If not for the activities of the teachers most of us would not have attained the heights we have attained in life today.”
                  

He regretted that teachers in the Country have never been given their dues in the scheme of things. His words,”we need to begin to respect and appreciate our teachers, we should appreciate their roles in the developmental scheme of things in the Country.” This, he said, was the key to the nation’s general success.

The Chief of Defence Staff however assured TRCN that the Nigerian Armed Forces will look into the requests and do everything within its powers to encourage the Council in its onerous tasks.

Ojewuyi Muyiwa
Senior Public Relations Officer