The Registrar, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Prof Josiah Olusegun Ajiboye, has commended the Federal College of Education (Technical) Umunze, Anambra State, for giving high premium to the induction of professional teachers in line with international best practices and quality assurance benchmark. He gave the commendation at the 4th TRCN induction ceremony of the College, where 1,348 candidates were formally admitted into the teaching profession.
Addressing the inductees on Wednesday, August 7, 2019 at Dr Alex Ekwueme Auditorium, Main Campus of the College, Prof Ajiboye said the College has gained a reputation for promoting students’ wholehearted development through the provision of a broad and balanced training with a wide array of learning activities.
“This institution is reputed for championing an all-round development of students by accommodating their interests, unleashing their potentials and extending their experience beyond classroom learning,” he stated.
Professor Ajiboye, who was represented by the Director, Professional Operations, Maazi Adamu Bello, described teachers as pivotal in the education sector, which has become the most potent instrument in man’s struggle for survival and development.
“Today’s teachers must not only fit into the knowledge informed demands of the contemporary life, but also be at the shoulder level with every other professional groups functioning in the wider context of a knowledge driven economy,” he said.
He explained that a professional teacher must embrace radical paradigm shift from the content and method model to the broad knowledge base model, which incorporates the essential ingredients of professionalism. According to him, the development of innovative technologies for teaching has placed a huge demand on teachers to learn the use of new technologies in the teaching and learning process.
The TRCN Registrar urged the new teachers to take their oath of practice with all seriousness and wished them a blissful career in teaching. He explained that oath taking was the most important legal basis for admission into a profession and a condition for a professional practice. He warned that any breach of the oath of practice calls for sanction.
While congratulating the inductees, he said, “The oath administration symbolises induction of all new teachers into the profession. By the event of today, all inductees shall be accepted into the teaching profession.
Also speaking, the Provost, Dr Tessy Okoli, said her administration laid out a clear policy on encouraging academic staff training and development to ensure that the College remains atop in the delivery of quality teacher education. She explained that thousands of graduates from the institution have been inducted by TRCN, and work in various schools across the country.
While commending the TRCN for raising the professional bar, Okoli noted that the College had keyed into the policy directive of the federal government on the stoppage of unlicensed teachers working in schools nationwide. She warned that teaching staff of the College yet to obtain the TRCN certification would be shown the backdoor.
“Professional training and certification are necessary steps for everyone entering into a career, including the teaching sector. We would ensure that quality and professional development of teachers remains a cardinal policy of this administration,” she added.
The Provost congratulated the inductees on being studious in learning and urged them to become models in their various places of engagements. She described the graduates of the institution as shining light and charged them to illuminate the education sector with the imperishable values of hardwork, diligence and integrity they learnt from the College.
The highpoint of the occasion was the administration of oath of practice on the inductees by the TRCN Registrar/Chief Executive and presentation of certificates. Speaking on behalf of the inductees, the best graduating student in Professional Diploma in Education examination, 2017/2018 session, Azubuike Okechukwu Augustine, thanked the College for providing them with quality training in character and learning. He described the induction ceremony as the beginning of their academic race, and urged his colleagues to raise the banner of the teaching profession higher.
The induction ceremony was attended by the Deputy Provost, Dr Christopher Ugwuogo, the Bursar, Sir Patrick Omile, the Librarian, Dr Adolphus Ugwuanyi, the Coordinator, TRCN, Anambra State, Lady Rosemary Otikpa, the Dean, Faculty of Education, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof Tony Eze, who was represented by the Sub-Dean, Dr Carol Ezeugbo, among others.