TRCN to Verify Teachers’ Certificates in Akwa Ibom

The Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has disclosed plan to conduct verification for teachers in public and private schools in Akwa Ibom State.

While disclosing this on Tuesday 18th February, 2020, the state Coordinator, Aletor Omonzokpia, stated that the exercise would authenticate the licence of registered teachers and identify those with fake licences.

Omonzokpia said the registration of qualified teachers ended in 2019, while the verification would be to authenticate licensed teachers.

He noted that 20,023 primary school teachers were registered in the state: 8,218 in secondary schools, with teachers outside secondary and primary schools 6,017.

However, he decried the noncompliance of private school teachers in the state.

He stated that their failure to register was a challenge to the Council.

“The number of registered teachers in primary schools is 20,023, while there are 8,218 in secondary schools. Teachers in other schools are 6,017. We have many teachers who have passed our exams but are yet to collect their licences because they are required to write promotion exams before they can get the certificate. The exam is now a criterion for registration,” he said.

“Most of them have not turned up for the promotional exams. We will verify those teachers who have come to register. Thank God we have got the names of teachers in this state, both in the public and private sectors,” he noted.

“We are having challenges, especially from teachers in private schools, who don’t want to identify with us. We are trying to let them know that TRCN has come to stay as in other countries; we have a body that regulates the profession,” he added.