President Muhammadu Buhari has made it clear that the reform in the education sector cannot function without a fundamental change of the attitude, orientation and behavior of teachers.
President Buhari who spoke today during the 2015 World Teachers’ Day celebration in Abuja said: “it is commonly acknowledge that the quality of learning depends, first and foremost, on the quality of teachers. Consequently, in 1966, the international community adopted a standard to promote quality teachers and teaching. In this new world order, knowledge is power and all the strategic sectors of society are expected to be manned only by individual whose capabilities and understanding of the sectors are not in any way doubtful. Logically therefore, like other professions, only those who are adequately prepared and regulated should be entrusted with the teaching and learning process.”
The President, who was represented by the Secretary to the government of the Federation, (SGF), Babachir Lawal, ordered therefore that only those adequately prepared and regulated should be entrusted with the teaching and learning process even as he promised that Federal Government will not rest in its efforts aimed at improving the standard of teaching and learning by empowering teachers through its agencies.
He said that government would rely heavily on the activities of agencies like the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria, National Teacher’s Institute, National Commission for Colleges of Education, National Universities Commission, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, and various faculties and departments of institutions of higher learning to improve teachers performances and education.
“These institutions are directed towards the realization of government’s goals in the improvement of quality of teacher education programs, registration and licensing processes and, the overall professionalization of teaching.
“However, this process cannot function without a fundamental change in the attitude, orientation and behavior of teacher towards greater values, ideals and practices. A comprehensive ethical framework is, therefore, required to define what the new values, ideals and practices should be. There might also be the need for the new legal instruments and programs that are designed to enforce the provisions of the ethical framework.” [myad]
