Nigerians can now apply for qualified teacher status through the Teaching Regulation Agency in the United Kingdom, from February 2023, following the listing of Nigeria as one of the eligible African countries for the job.
Other foreign countries, which are 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 publication earlier this month (December), announced the application for interested non-UK nationals.
According to the Department, the applicants do not even necessarily require initial teaching qualifications as the country offers a training programme for the potential migrants.
The publication reads, “From February 1, 2023, teachers who qualified in the following nine countries (listed above) will also be able to apply to the QTR through the TRA.
“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 maths 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.”
4,703 Out Of 24,061 Primary School Teachers Are Unqualified – Niger State Gov’t
The Niger State Technical Committee on Teachers Headcount has revealed that of a total of 24,061 primary school teachers across the state 4,703 are unqualified while 24, 061 are certified.
Labaran Garba, the chairman of the committee, stated this during the presentation of the Committee’s report to the state Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello in Minna.
He said the state has a total of 3,135 public primary schools.
He told the Governor that of the 2,406 Local Government Education Administrative staff, 1,276 have teaching qualifications while 1,130 do not.
According to him, at the secondary school, the state has a total of 498 secondary schools with 6, 870 teachers of which 962 are unqualified.
Comrade Garba added, ” one of the committee’s recommendations is to sustain teachers’ headcount after every three years for effective and efficient educational planning in the state”.
Responding, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello assured all qualified teachers in the state of their dues, adding that,” based on the report there are 80 percent qualified teachers in the state which is commendable and encouraging”
He stated,” let us identify our teachers and see how we can support them, our teachers are suffering. All necessary arrangements will be made to improve the welfare of the teachers to ensure quality education in public schools”
“For the over 4,000 unqualified teachers discovered by the committee, we should take them out, but we can also give them the option to be trained and come back”.
The Governor then urged the implementation committee to carry out their functions without sentiments noting that attention should be given to areas where there are few schools so that they will get more and should be close to communities.
Source: Vanguard
