No fewer than 53,674 teachers, who wrote the December Diet of the Teachers’ Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE), have qualified to register for teaching licenses.

Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, the Registrar, Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), disclosed this in Abuja on in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

NAN recalls that the examination, which was conducted in 47 centres across the country, started on Dec. 5 in states with large number of candidates, and ended on Dec. 7.

Ajiboye said that the results had been approved by the Governing Council of TRCN, adding that 72,947, out of 77,296 teachers that registered, participated in the examination.

“The result was not bad, because the average performance of those who passed the examination is 73.58 per cent, which is 53,674 candidates, while 26.42 per cent, representing 19,273 candidates, failed.

“The performances of the candidates are very encouraging; the Federal Ministry of Education and TRCN Governing Board are happy with it,” he said.

He said that, though PQE was not an achievement test, it was important to ensure that an individual registered as a professional teacher.

Ajiboye explained that the council would not issue teaching certificate and license to any teacher without writing the examination.

“The deadline of Dec. 31 is still certain but it does not mean the PQE has stopped. It has come to stay.

“We are planning to be organising the exams for teachers on quarterly basis to help more teachers to enrol, instead of writing twice in a year.

“We must have committed and qualified teachers; we also want to ensure that the teaching environment is in order,” he said.

He added that those who failed any diet have the opportunity to re-enroll and re-write the examination with the next set.

“Those who also passed should go ahead to register at the centre close to them to be able to get their certificates and licences as qualified teachers,” he said.

Ajiboye gave the assurance that TRCN would not back down on its position to flush out unregistered or unqualified teachers out of the education system by Dec. 31.

“It is not only TRCN’s position, but the position of National Council on Education and it has to be implemented.

“We will make sure we enforce the law and by January 2020, we will begin to move around for enforcement,” he said. (NAN)