Teaching as a
profession now has all the features of professionalism associated with other
noble professions. Part of these features are coded and standardized
instruments or documents called Professional Standards that
clearly and precisely define what the professional must know and put into
practice and the core values, ideals and conduct that the professional must
exhibit. Professional Standards therefore refer to a minimum
set of knowledge, skills, values, attitude, conduct, rights, privileges and
obligations expected of a professional.
The National
Policy on Education (2008) has the expectation that teaching in Nigeria
shall attain the highest standards possible. It asserted, “Since no education
system can rise above the quality of its teachers, teacher Education shall
continue to be given major emphasis in all educational planning and
development” and “the minimum qualification for entry into the teaching
profession shall be the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE).” Accordingly,
it provided that the goals of teacher education shall be to:
(a) Produce highly motivated, conscientious
and efficient classroom teachers for all levels of our educational system;
(b) Encourage further the spirit of enquiry
and creativity in teachers.
(c) Help teachers to fit into the social
life of the community and the society at large, and enhance their commitment to
national goals.
(d) Provide teachers with the intellectual
and professional background adequate for their assignment and make them
adaptable to changing situations; and
(e) Enhance teachers’ commitment to
the teaching profession.
The Policy further stated that “All teachers in educational
institutions shall be professionally trained” and that “Teacher education programmes
shall be structured to equip teachers for the effective performance of their
duties.” The Policy listed the following institutions, among others, as those
to give the required professional education:
(a) Faculties
of Education
(b) Institutes
of Education
(c) Colleges of
Education
(d) National
Teacher Institutes (NTI)
(e) Schools of
Education in the Polytechnics
(f) National
Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN);
(g) National
Mathematical Centre (NMC)
The Policy finally
provides as follows, that:
(a) Teaching is a legally recognized
profession in Nigeria; in this regard, Government has set up the Teachers’
Registration Council to control and regulate the practice of the profession.
(b) Those already involved in teaching but
not professionally qualified shall be given a period of time within which to
qualify for registration or leave the profession.
(c) Newly qualified teachers shall serve a
period of internship - one (1) year for degree holders and two (2) for NCE
holders.
(d) Teacher education shall continue to take
cognizance of changes in methodology and in the curriculum. Teachers shall be
regularly exposed to innovations in their profession.
(e) In-service training shall be developed
as an integral part of continuing teacher education and shall also take care of
all inadequacies.
(f) Effort towards the improvement of
quality education at the primary and secondary levels shall include the
appointment of academically and professionally qualified persons as teachers
and head teachers and the regulation of in-service training programme for
teacher and head teachers.
Categorization of Nigerian
Teachers
Registered teachers in Nigeria are categorized into four groups as
follows:
.Category A (Doctoral
Teachers):
Holders of PhD in Education or PhD in
other field plus teaching qualification e.g. Post Graduate Diploma in Education
(PGDE); Professional Diploma in Education (PDE); Nigeria Certificate in Education
(NCE).
Category B (Master Teachers):
Holders of Masters Degree in Education
or Masters Degree in other fields plus a teaching qualification, e.g. PGDE,
PDE, NCE.
Category C (Graduate Teachers):
Holders of Bachelors Degree in
Education or Bachelors Degree in other field plus a teaching qualification,
e.g. PGDE, PDE, NCE.
Category D (NCE Teachers):
Holders of the Nigeria Certificate in
Education which is the national minimum teaching qualification.
This categorization is based on the provisions of the TRCN Act 31
of 1993, Section 2(e) which gave TRCN the responsibility of “classifying
from time to time members of the teaching profession according to their level
of training and qualification.” The categorization is therefore a statutory
function and the fact that it should be based on teachers’ level of training
and qualification are also prescribed by law.