Understanding what Nigerian teacher training institutions do | EduCeleb
Abdussalam Amoo
5th October 2017
Nigerian teacher training institutions are those mandated by the National Policy on Education to train those that would later belong to the teaching profession. They offer both pre-service and in-service training for teachers. The policy has the expectation that teaching in Nigeria shall attain the highest standards possible.
“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,” it asserts.
It further sets the minimum requirement for one to become a teacher in Nigeria. It states that “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:
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 post-secondary education institutions, among others, as those to give the required professional education for would be teachers.
Both the Colleges of Education and the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) award the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) which I earlier quoted as being the minimum qualification for entry into the teaching profession.
Depending on the teacher training institution one attends and the course who studies, any of Bachelor of Education (B Ed.), a Bachelor of Science Education [B.Sc. (Ed.)] or a Bachelor of Arts Education [B.A. (Ed.)] is awarded at the end of the programme. Faculties of Education across Nigerian universities do offer Bachelor’s Degree in education. Also, the National Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN) and the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) are also legally permitted to award a Bachelor’s degree provided they had sought the National Universities Commission (NUC) approval.
Those who initially had qualifications in other fields but wish to become teachers need a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE/PDE) for them to be basically regarded as taking membership of the teaching profession. The NTI, along with the Faculties and Institutes of Education all offer a PGDE/PDE.
This qualification is especially needed in a situation where someone may want to further their education at the postgraduate level. Those already teaching with postgraduate qualifications but without any prior teaching qualification too are required to obtain a PGDE from any of the above listed teacher-training institutions in the country.
A Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree are obtained after the Bachelor of Education Degree or Postgraduate Diploma, as the case may be. Faculties and Institutes which are both domiciled in universities run the two postgraduate programmes.
Entry into the various levels of the education system as a teacher demands requisite academic qualifications. These are based on certain regulations coupled with the Policy, laid down over the years through institutional regulation agencies such as the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education, and National Commission for Colleges of Education.
Obtaining a teaching qualification is not sufficient to make one regarded as a teacher in Nigeria. One needs to become a professional. As it is applicable to the other professions, no category of teachers is exempted from regulation and control. That is what the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) sets out to achieve as Nigeria’s teaching professional regulatory authority.
Through the TRCN, qualified teachers are issued licence. Read up details of how obtain a teaching licence in Nigeria and locate the TRCN office in your state of residence to fast track obtaining licence.
The National Policy on Education recognizes this, among other things, by making the following provisions:
Don’t be left out! Enroll in a teacher training institution today and ensure you are licensed to teach in Nigeria.
If you have any question to ask regarding this guide, or observed any omission in the post, feel free to use the comment box below.