The United Kingdom (UK) Government recently announced that Nigerian teachers could come over to take up teaching appointments. This has elicited mixed reactions from stakeholders. Some say it will compound the brain drain crisis in the country. But, the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) says it means global recognition for registered teachers. DAMOLA KOLA-DARE and VICTORIA AMADI report.
Beyond the mouth-watering promises made to teachers by President Muhammadu Buhari during the World Teachers’ Day in 2020, in Abuja, it is now time for them to jubilate. Reason? They can now leave the country for sunnier climes and the Golden Fleece.
Nigerians can apply for qualified teacher status (QTS) through the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) in the United Kingdom, with effect from February 1, 2023, following the listing of Nigeria as one of the eligible African countries for teaching.
Other foreign countries eligible for the UK teaching job include Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Singapore, South Africa, Ukraine and Zimbabwe.
The UK Department for Education, in a statement early this month, announced application for interested non-UK citizens.
According to the department, applicants do not necessarily require initial teaching qualifications as the country offers a training programme for the potential migrants.
The statement reads: “From February 1, 2023, teachers who qualified in the following nine countries (listed above) will also be able to apply to the qualified teacher status through the Teaching Regulation Agency.
“Teachers from all eligible countries will have to show they meet a consistent set of criteria for the award of the QTS. Over time, this route will be opened to qualified teachers from every country outside the UK.
“To apply for assessment – only QTS, you do not need a formal teacher training qualification.
“However, you must have: a minimum of two years’ teaching experience, a first (bachelor’s) degree from a UK or non-UK university, an English language qualification, which is the same standard as a grade four General Certificate of Secondary Education, a Math’s qualification, which is the same standard as a grade four GCSE to teach children aged three to 11 in primary school, a physics, chemistry or biology (science) qualification, which is the same standard as a grade four GCSE.”
This is coming after many failed promises to Nigerian teachers by the government.
At the World Teacher’s Day in 2020, Buhari had approved a special package for teachers and those interested in joining the profession. But after two years, the implementation is still far off.
The juicy offers included special salary-scale for basic and secondary school teachers; increase of mandatory service year from 35 to 40 years; construction of low-cost houses for teachers in the rural areas; special allowance for teachers in the rural areas and peculiar allowance for science teachers.
Others were automatic admission into public schools for children of teachers. They are also to enjoy free tuition, automatic employment for education graduates; provision of loan facilities for agriculture, housing, cars, motorcycles and so on.
“My administration has resolved that quality education of teachers in terms of engagement of continued professional development have to be given priority.
“The future of this country will be a function of the quality education delivered to our children and this depends on the quality of our teachers and the quality of our teachers depends on the motivation and their motivation depends on how happy they are doing what they are doing.
“To address these challenges, my administration has approved the following for teachers and the teaching profession. That to attract investment in the profession, the quality of the introduction of a bursary award has been restored.
“There will be a special pension scheme to enable the teaching profession retain its experienced talents as well as extend teachers retirement age to 65 years and the duration of teachers’ years to 40 years. And that is to create a career path policy for the teaching profession in Nigeria and gives speedy teachers to programme and ICT training,” he said.
The President ordered the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure swift implementation with states and local governments, the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, the National Salaries, Incomes and Commission and other agencies.
He called for quick action to ensure that the 27.5 per cent professional allowance was paid to teachers of Federal Government-owned schools and colleges.
Nonetheless, only the 65 years’ retirement age and 40 years’ condition of service had been implemented at the federal level. The Nation gathered that 34 states have not begun implementation of the 65 years’ retirement and 40 years’ condition of service benefits, signed into law by the President early this year.
Zamfara, Osun, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have started benefitting from the new law.
But, some stakeholders have expressed their opinions over the new development.
TRCN: a welcome development; validation of education system
Registrar, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Prof. Josiah Ajiboye said it was a welcome development, adding that it would expose the nation’s teachers to global best practices in teaching, which, in the long run, impact positively on the education system.
Ajiboye said: “Nigerian teachers have been going out to teach everywhere, including Canada, U.S. and other countries. With the UK government offer, if Nigerian teachers have the Teachers Registration Council certificate and licence, it is regarded as being equivalent of the UK teaching licence; it is a welcome development. It means that our teachers are recognised globally. It gives credence to what we do at the level of the TRCN, to make Nigerian teachers be at par with their counterparts in the world. Between January and December, I have signed for over 600 Nigerians going to teach in Canada alone. The new demand for Nigerian teachers is a global one. This is in line with Global Mobility of Teachers. It is a signal that Nigerian teachers enjoy global recognition.”
On whether it would worsen brain drain in the country, the TRCN registrar said: “These days we don’t talk about brain drain anymore, what we talk about is brain-sharing. When our teachers go out, they would come back with rich global experience to develop our education system and impact the economy. If you have not practised your profession outside your country, it means you are a local academic. Some of us have been to other countries to teach and we came back. It has helped us to grow. It is a global phenomenon. In Africa, we have Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe approved. It is an indication that the education system of this country is working well and our teacher preparation programme is solid.
“Then, they examined what we do at the level of TRCN. When you graduate from an institution, you have to take TRCN qualifying examination before you are registered as a teacher, so they have examined our structures and operations. On the basis of that, they were able to put Nigeria on the list.”
An opportunity for Nigerians to appreciate what they have, says educationist
An educationist, who pleaded anonymity, noted that it was an opportunity for Nigerians to appreciate what they have. He said: “Teachers should not be disallowed. We have teachers that are good enough but we are complaining that our education system is not good while the British government is saying that we have teachers in Nigeria, who can come to their country and be able to meet their standard. I think it’s an opportunity for us to look inward and appreciate what we have both in terms of motivation and filling the gaps. I think it underscores the fact that we have whatever it takes. It is a validation of our system regardless whatever it is now.
“What it means is that we have a teacher training system, we have students who are of high quality that have been able to take over the teaching career. We have people who can fit into the UK system and be able to perform at their level. We need to look inward and look at what we have especially in the teaching career where we thought everything is upside down; where people talk about falling standard of education. It means we have something to offer.
“This is not the first of its kind. There used to be a time when we send people of different skilled personnel to all over Africa to work. We have provided help across Africa and we have been really valued. We have it all. We can make a better use of what we have. We have colleges of education that are delivering.”
‘Alarm bells on brain drain; failed promises’
Deputy National President, National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo said: “It is definitely going to lead to brain drain. However, the government should be ready to employ teachers who are without job. Then, I foresee that only the experienced ones will go. We have so many teachers and we won’t like the experienced ones to migrate abroad. But in most African countries today, people are moving abroad for greener pastures and the Golden Fleece. And there is nothing anybody can do about it.
“With this offer from the UK government, it is an opportunity for teachers to better their lot. There are many issues yet to be addressed here in terms of salaries, conditions of service and even industrial action. Thus, the working conditions and environment are not favourable and attractive as expected. For us, as parents, it is going to be a loss; many teachers will definitely explore the opportunity to get paid employment abroad. It is a mixed grill; really, loss on the part of government, but gain for teachers who are happy to move. It may be cheap labour, but it will definitely be better than what we have here. There will be better conditions of service; there won’t be national grid collapse and other irregularities abroad.
“However, it will give room for upcoming teachers to be employed.
“Until the government addresses challenges in the education sector, everything will remain the same. It should redeem the promises made to teachers in 2020 during the World Teachers’ Day celebration in Abuja. Perhaps, it may encourage them to stay. Implementation remains a problem in the country.”
‘Offer attractive’
For Vice Principal, African Church Model College, Mr. Alao Sanusi, the offer is attractive, thus brain drain is inevitable.”The offer, of course, is attractive. With the state of teaching and poor remuneration, many will jump at the opportunity.
“If I am privileged to get such offer, won’t you encourage me to jump at it?”
“However, this will further lead to brain drain in the country. Sadly, brain drain is purposely designed by whites to make sure that the black race continues to be enslaved.
“If the government wants to address the issue, it should improve education and teaching and stabilise the economy.
“Unfortunately, leadership remains an issue. If we can get the right leadership in the nation, automatically, other sectors will be on sound footing and issues of brain drain and mass migration will be remedied,” Sanusi said.
Wake up call for the country
State Secretary, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Lagos State Wing, Gbenga Ayetoba, said this is a big blow, urging the government to improve the education sector.
“It is a way of getting at us in our education system. Nigeria needs teachers more than other countries. Therefore, taking our teachers to other countries is not impressive.
“Many teachers will jump at the offer because they are looking for greener pastures. We are losing many of our professionals and it will affect our system. The government should discourage the policy because it will affect us economically, educationally, and all round.
“We should retain our best brains here and provide them with the scientific and technological teaching backup. Government should do something to revive education because there will not be development in the country without improving the sector. We should all put heads together and make ours better. With that, there would be no need to look for greener pastures.”
A Professor, Tsiga said: “This is really sad for the country because we feel that we need experienced teachers as much as we can have. Definitely, it is a sad development because many teachers will want to migrate. Only last week or few weeks ago, the President of Nigeria Medical Association was on the air talking about how Nigerians had lost more than 10,000 doctors.
“Nigeria professionals in all sectors have something to offer and that’s why they are working around the world. But, unfortunately, we don’t value them like we should in the country. Quite a lot of Nigerian teachers are qualified and competent. Nigerians should be the ones to get ready, prepare our own system well so that we don’t continue to lose our precious ones to other countries.
“The impact would not be immediate. Because most of the qualified manpower would move out of the country, go overseas and then our systems would gradually begin to go down in its standard and, then, it would reach a time that the standard would be so poor that it wouldn’t be able to serve the country. Our leaders should start to think on how to make our conditions better so that it can change our quality manpower and we will be able to develop accordingly.”
