The Director, Centre for Non Formal Education and Training, CENFET, Dr Rosemary Nwangwu has said only competent teachers can bring about the needed transformation in Nigerian school system.
Nwangwu stated this weekend in Abuja during the public presentation of her books ‘The Transformational Teachers’ and ‘Taking Responsibility for School Improvement’.
She averred that though Nigerian teachers are surrounded with many problems, lack of adequate and unqualified teachers has continued to worsen the education system which needed urgent attention to bring about sound education currently sought for.
“To encourage quality teaching and learning, the National Policy on Education, NPE, recommends a teacher: pupil ratio of 1:35 at the basic education level. But today, some part of the country’s ratio is high. Bauchi ratio is 1:109 while Yobe is 1:127 and these states have as low as 421 and 500 qualified teachers for students’ population of 46,013 and 63,953 respectively,” she added.
She further disclosed that school data for 2010 revealed that out of 43,765 ECCE/ Pre-primary School teachers, only 30,503 were qualified while 1, 825,857 children were enrolled at this level. For the JSS classes, out of 133,338 teachers only 124,124 were trained and certificated with either NCE certificate or a first degree.
Nwangwu insisted that teachers must be supported professionally; saying that at least once a year a teacher should go for training and government should hire teachers who have the brain and are interested in teaching.