The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) says the country is ready to host the fourth annual online conference of registered teachers.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, Stella-Maria Nwokeocha, the acting registrar of TRCN, said the theme of the conference is ‘Advancing teacher professionalisation in Nigeria towards Eeducation 2030: Challenges, strategies and prospects’.
The conference will be held between October 16 and 17.
The acting registrar said the theme is directly linked to international concerns about teaching profession.
She said the conference will deal with subthemes such as the strategies for quality teaching and lifelong learning, national and international best practices in continuous professional upskilling of teachers, among other issues.
Nwokeocha noted that there is a global concern about teacher quality and the future of the teaching profession.
“The United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, underscored this concern when in 2022 he convened the first ever United Nations summit on education, tagged “Transforming education summit,” she said.
“Teachers, teaching and the teaching profession” was one of the five tracks (sub-themes) of the Summit.
“As a follow-up to the outcomes of the summit, the secretary general set up a high-level panel on the teaching profession, which released its report and recommendations this year, 2024.
“It confirmed “a dramatic shortage of teachers worldwide” and the existence of millions of teachers who lack the support, skills and continuing training they need to meet the demands of rapidly changing education systems.”
“Its recommendations, further, call for urgent action to address serious issues in the teaching profession that pertain to pre-service teacher education and continuous professional development.”
She added that Nigeria as the “giant of Africa,” has a huge share of the teacher shortage, and stressed the need for continuous updating of the professional skills and competences of professionals along the lines identified by global concerns and recommendations.
“This is why the 4th Annual Online Conference of Registered Teachers in Nigeria scheduled to hold on October 16-17, 2024, is a special response to the emerging global continental and national issues of interest to the teaching profession and education in Nigeria,” she said.
“This Conference initiated in 2021 remains one of the largest gathering platforms of professional teachers in Nigeria where emerging issues in teaching and learning in the 21st century are unraveled and resolved.
“As at today, over 3, 000 persons have registered, and the number is expected to grow further. The Conference will be streamed live on TRCN social media handles and those of UNESCO Nigeria which has greatly provided the technical support.
“TRCN will also set up viewing centers across the FCT, Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna, Lagos, Oyo and other states where teachers may be willing to assemble and participate.”
