NIGERIA EDUCATION: How Do I Become A Certified Teacher?

Teacher with students

The education sector of Nigeria has experienced a lot of ups and downs, both at the Federal and State levels, which has made it seem as though those at the helm of affairs are nonchalant towards developing the sector.

With regards to acquiring formal or Western education, Nigeria has a very high patronage, but with this high acquisition of knowledge, the sector is still being faced with a lot of challenges as though the professionals in the sector do not bring their expertise to bear.

Nigeria’s educational policies are among the best in the world, yet, we do not have proper planning for implementation. Over three decades ago, it was a pride to be a teacher, and only those who had passion for it availed themselves. Teachers were well trained, and they gave their best to work.

Today’s proliferation of teachers both at the primary and post-primary levels is due to the high unemployment rate in the country.

The regulatory body of the teaching profession in Nigeria is the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) which was established by the TRCN Decree No. 31 of 1993 (now TRCN Act CAP T3 of 2004)

Formerly, the prerequisite for registering with the professional body was the presentation of certificates, but the new trend as stated by the TRCN Director of professional operations, Dr Steve Nwokocha, is that teachers will have to sit for the professional qualifying examinations.

This simply means that, without a teacher passing the qualifying examinations, such one cannot be registered. In accordance to this, the Lagos State Commissioner for Education Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye said that teachers would no longer be employed in the state without the TRCN certificate and those already in service will not be promoted until they present the TRCN certificate.

The renewal of the teachers’ licence is subject to passing the professional examination, thus, upholding the dignity of the body.

To be registered, you need a qualification in education obtainable from an accredited institution, after which you can obtain the registration form from any TRCN zonal offices, fill and submit same along with photocopies of your credentials including the original copy of the deposit slip.

Get certified, to avoid being embarrassed.

THE GIANT IN YOU

THE FUTURE IS PURCHASED WITH THE PRESENT

I would say a giant is a person of extraordinary strength in body or intellect. This simply implies that giants come in different forms- stature or intellect.

Different giants have emerged over time and can be traced to the Holy Bible when the sons of God had intercourse with the daughters of men, which brought about the Nephilim; also referred to as GIANTS- they were mighty in stature.

Another form of giants can be seen in a man called Nimrod, who was intellectually mighty in his works in erecting the Tower of Babel. He was able to search what he could bring into the human world. Do you belong to the former or latter class of giant?

Firstly, where does it start to become an intellectual giant?

Does going to a conventional school have influence on you becoming a giant? To a large extent it does, but you don't need to acquire all the academic qualifications to being one. The first point of call is YOU. Your mind!

The human mind is a set of cognitive faculties that enables consciousness, perception, thinking, judgement and memory. With the mind, we are aware of our immediate environment, to perceive and respond to stimuli using sensory receptors situated different parts of the body.

So many theories have emerged regarding the situate of the mind, but it is generally accepted as being synonymous with our thoughts. It is exclusive to every individual. You are the only one who can interprete your intrapersonal communication.

Secondly, how can the mind be developed? Often times in my discussion with people (especially young folks) I make it known to them that no one was born a dullard or genius. You can become what you choose for yourself.

Basically, the affective, psychomotor and cognitive aspects of our lives are very important. The question is: what do you feed your mind with? The human mind (brain) is such a storehouse which is capable of retaining things for a long time due to the interconnection of billions of neurons.

Someone sat down to think on how to facilitate calculations from the use of Abacus to scientific calculators. The missing Malaysian plane is nowhere to be found yet, even with the high technology being used in the world today.

Can’t we design radar system that would detect the tiniest object in the ocean? Folks! It is possible- the power of the mind.

What you know today is not what you knew 20 years ago, because of certain factors such as environment, education and age, which have influenced your intelligence. As much as one’s Intelligent Quotient (IQ) matters, one’s determination to achieving success cannot be ruled out, because your output is a product of your input: ‘Garbage In, Garbage Out.’

Using IQ test to measure one’s intelligence is not as accurate as one would expect, because it is subject to a specific or standardized test for which it is designed to measure.

Becoming an intellectual giant depends solely on you. The future is purchased with the present; sow the right things into your BOX, and you will have the gains of tomorrow.