The Nigeria Union of Teachers has rejected the Federal Government’s proposal to exempt candidates seeking admission into Nigeria Certificate in Education programmes from sitting the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
The union warned that the move could further weaken standards in teacher education and worsen the quality of entrants into colleges of education across the country.
The National President of the NUT, Audu Amba, stated this on Tuesday during a teachers’ sensitisation workshop organised by 21st Century in partnership with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria in Abuja.
Amba expressed concern over what he described as the declining academic quality of candidates admitted into colleges of education, noting that many high-performing students now prefer universities, while NCE programmes are increasingly treated as alternatives for unsuccessful university applicants.
He argued that the teaching profession should attract some of the brightest students in the country rather than becoming a last resort for candidates unable to secure university admission.
“Why can’t we now say that anyone going to College of Education to become a teacher tomorrow must be among the highest-scoring candidates in UTME?” he asked.
According to him, colleges of education were originally established to produce highly qualified teachers capable of strengthening the nation’s educational system.
“Colleges of Education are supposed to have the best candidates, but unfortunately, when people fail to secure university admission, they are told to go and manage NCE,” he added.
Speaking at the event, the Registrar of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Dr Ronke Soyombo, stressed the need to reposition teachers for the demands of a rapidly evolving digital economy.
She said the future of education in Nigeria depends largely on educators who possess technological skills, innovation and professional competence capable of equipping students with relevant modern-day knowledge.
Also speaking, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, represented by Dr Iyabo Ali, called for continuous professional development for teachers, urging educators to constantly improve their digital and innovative capacities to meet global standards.
Other stakeholders at the workshop, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, represented by Dr Mary Aba, and the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, advocated stronger collaboration among stakeholders in the education sector.
Moro, however, expressed concern over the poor state of educational infrastructure in the country, warning that more than 70 per cent of schools lack adequate learning and teaching facilities.
He cautioned that the widening gap between teachers and their work environment poses a major threat to the future of Nigeria’s education system.
