Janet Samuel, Abuja
Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria TRCN has revealed that over twelve (12) thousand candidates enrolled and sat for the May 2024 Professional Qualifying Examination of the Council.
The examination which was conducted on Saturday in Abuja Had the highest candidates enrolment from Benue State with 1,416 candidates, followed by the second highest from Osun State with 1,410 candidates.
Speaking with newsmen during the Examination, Director, Certification and Licencing, TRCN, Dr Jacinta Ezeahurukwe said in order to boost the quality of teachers in the education system, the professional Qualifying Examination became necessary across the country.
She said the teachers’ qualifying examination introduced in 2017 has been of great impact in the Nigerian education sector especially at the basic level saying that the examination is highly recognised nationwide.
According to her, State Governments and owners of private institutions in the country are now fully aware of the dangers of recruiting individuals without the requisite TRCN certification and licencing to practice as teachers across primary to tertiary levels.
The Director explained that the qualifying examination established foundational knowledge that a teacher must possess and exhibit as contained in professional teaching standards.
She said , PQE, which is designed to test the professional knowledge of those in the teaching profession, is a prerequisite for licencing and certification of teachers before being allowed to teach in the classrooms.
The Director said: “At the stage we are at now, we are making sure that every state and any organisation that has to recruit any teacher from primary to tertiary must ensure that only qualified teachers are recruited, and for that person to be certified as a qualified teacher, you must go through these processes.
“The Professional Qualifying Examination for teachers who are to be registered and licenced as professional teachers in Nigeria takes place two times every year, Batch ‘A’ and Batch ‘B’. We take Batch A in May–June and Batch B in November.
“So, this year, 2024, we are taking Batch A of the set that has registered for the examination in May. This examination has started nationwide since Thursday. Some people took the examination in their states on Thursday, some others on Friday, and Saturday being the main day, the examination is going on in all the states of the Federation and FCT.
Speaking with One of the teachers, Agnes Agbo from Veritas University, said she participated in the examination to continue in the teaching profession, as well as avail her the opportunity to travel out if the need arise.
