By Joseph Erunke
THE Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria,TRCN,has said a total of 11,487 candidates passed its annual Professional Qualifying Examination conducted recently across the country.
The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of TRCN, Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, made this known on Friday in Abuja ,while briefing newsmen on the achievements recorded by the council.
Ajiboye,who said a total of 17,602 candidates sat for the examination that qualifies one as professional teacher, disclosed that 3,650 teachers failed the exercise.
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His words: “A total of 17,602 candidates took the examination, 11,487 passed which is 75.9percent while 3,650 candidates failed, which is 24.1 per cent.”
The examination, which was the second series to be conducted by TRCN for 2020 took place between 12 and 14 November.
While saying the announcement of special salary package and other benefits for teachers by President Muhammadu Buhari remains top as its greatest achievement for 2020, the TRCN boss expressed delight that the National Council of Education has recently approved all as announced by the President during the recent World Teachers Day.
He said said the next step is to secure the nod of the Federal Executive Council, adding that the National Assembly is also expected to intervene in amending relevant laws to allow for the increased in service and retirement years for teachers.
The TRCN boss commended President Buhari, Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu and Minister of State, Emeka Nwajiuba, for their support to Nigerian teaching profession.
Speaking further, Ajiboye said TRCN mobilised over 60,000 teachers for various digital skills training in 2020 in collaboration with other relevant bodies.
On the number of qualified teachers, Prof. Ajiboye put the number at about 2.2 million, adding that TRCN will in not too distant time release the present figure of quacks operating in the nation’s teaching profession.
