By Austin Ogwuda

Asaba – DELTA State Government has said it would soon weed out unqualified teachers in both public and private schools in the state who are not registered with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, TRCN, the umbrella body in charge of approving the suitability of teachers in the country.

Commissioner in charge of Ministry of Education for Basic and Secondary, Professor Patrick Muoboghare, dropped the hint while fielding questions from newsmen in Asaba, yesterday.

The Commissioner said his ministry was already compiling names of those affected who would be shown the way out before the end of this year.

He said: “We are professionalising teaching. We are re-positioning teaching such that any person in classroom now employed as a teacher, either by the government or the private sector without a teaching qualification and who is not registered by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, will very soon be removed from the classroom.

“Such persons will be removed whether in public schools or in private schools. That is being done. You cannot practise as a private physician without registration by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. You cannot practice law, you cannot even open a chamber without registration.

“The position of the law governing the Teachers Council is clear. It states that if somebody is found teaching in any school, both the teacher and the person who employed the teacher would be prosecuted.  So, very soon, before this year runs out, we are sorting out the names. We are collaborating with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria.”