Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
Over 11,350 candidates at the weekend participated in the first batch of Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) Professional Qualifying Examination, (PQE)across the country.
Registrar of TRCN, Prof Josiah Ajiboye, who disclosed this while monitoring the exercise at Sascon International School Maitama, Abuja, said reports from across the country showed that the exam went on smoothly.
Ajiboye, who was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. David Adejo, further disclosed that Lagos State had the highest registered candidates for the examination with over 1,500 entrants, followed by Kano State and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
The TRCN boss noted that Kebbi State had the lowest participants in the exercise, stating the exercise, however, recorded tremendous improvement in terms of participation and the accreditation process.
“Well, generally, all over the country, we have about 11,350 candidates who are writing the exam, with Lagos State having the highest with 1500 plus candidates, followed by Kano State and FCT Abuja; then you have a state like Kebbi with the lowest number of candidates for the examination,” he explained.
He said the examination which is conducted in all the states of the federation, started since Wednesday and was concluded in some states on Friday.
Ajiboye commended commend the candidates for displaying better comportment, adding that their conduct “shows that there is maturity and the people are now realising that this is serious examination.”
Speaking on federal government’s effort to weed out unqualified teachers, he said one of the major process of weeding out quacks in the teaching profession was the PQE, saying it was now obvious that nobody could get the TRCN licence without passing a provisional qualifying examination.
“Even if you’re a professor in the university, you just have to write this examination before you can get the certificate and the licence.
“So, part of the process for weeding out this quackery in the profession is what we are on. And another thing that we are doing in that regard is also school monitoring. You will recall that in February 2020, we started the school monitoring programme. two boards,” he said.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Adejo, commended TRCN for the improvement in the accreditation process for the examination.
