‘FG’s 500,000 teachers must undergo professional devt’

An educationist in the University of Abuja, Dr. Gabardeen Olubenga Wasiu, has said that the move by the federal government to employ additional 500,000 teachers across the country was a step in the right direction, but the new teachers must undergo induction programmes. He said it was important for beginners to learn from one another, […]

An educationist in the University of Abuja, Dr. Gabardeen Olubenga Wasiu, has said that the move by the federal government to employ additional 500,000 teachers across the country was a step in the right direction, but the new teachers must undergo induction programmes.
He said it was important for beginners to learn from one another, adding that the ongoing professional development keeps teachers up-to-date on new methods on how children learn, emerging technology tools for the classroom, and new curriculum resources.
He said the new teachers might not carry out their duties well if proper training was not given to them.
 Dr. Wasiu, who made the observation in a telephone chat with Daily Trust in Abuja, said that education students in Nigerian universities were trained to provide services at the secondary schools.
“If you engage university graduates to teach in primary schools, they may likely not perform at an optimal level because they are not trained in the pedagogy to teach children from that age bracket,” he said.
He said primary education should be handled by those who are specially trained to teach in primary schools, adding that proper foundation determines the future of education.
He urged the federal government to pay more attention to teacher development, saying the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has an important role to play in determining the quality of teachers in the country.