WAEC, NECO to Sanction Schools With Unqualified Teachers

In a significant step to transform the educational landscape across the country, the federal government has mandated that secondary school educators must secure the appropriate certification; failing to do so will result in their schools being ineligible to function as examination centers.

In a policy announcement made yesterday, addressed to the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa revealed that “the Federal Ministry of Education has mandated that to enhance professionalism within the teaching field, the accreditation of both public and private secondary schools for the administration of national examinations, including WASSCE, NABTEB, NECO, and SAISSCE, will henceforth depend on the TRCN certification of teachers employed in these institutions.”

The announcement also specified, “Consequently, starting from March 2027 for WASSCE, May 2027 for NABTEB, June 2027 for NECO, and June 2027 for SAISSCE, any institution whose educators are not properly registered and licensed with the TRCN will be disqualified from serving as an examination center.”

Alausa further indicated in the memorandum that “state governments are therefore urged to take this directive into account and implement necessary measures to ensure that all teachers in both state-owned and private secondary schools obtain the required TRCN certification within the specified two-year period from the issuance of this policy directive.”

The memorandum also noted that “adherence to this directive will be monitored, with schools expected to reach a minimum compliance rate of 75 percent by 2026 and 100 percent full compliance by 2027.”

However, it stated that to facilitate compliance, “teachers who are not education graduates but have a minimum of 12 months of teaching experience are encouraged to enroll in the condensed professional certification program provided by the National Teachers Institute (NTI).”

The policy directive concluded by emphasizing that the issue should be treated with “utmost urgency and ensure extensive awareness among stakeholders nationwide.”