The federal government’s decision to waive admission requirements for the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programme has sparked debate among education stakeholders, with critics arguing that the policy contradicts ongoing efforts to improve teacher quality.
While the waiver is intended to boost enrolment into teacher-training institutions and address shortages in the education sector, concerns persist that lowering entry standards could undermine the competence and professionalism of future teachers.
Stanley Alaubi, senior lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt, believes the reason Nigeria is grappling with a teacher quality crisis is not NCE students having to sit for the UTME, but purely the condition of service.
“Let the government improve the welfare package of teachers and see how thousands, if not millions, would troop into the teaching industry,” he said.
According to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), 33.3 percent of Nigeria’s basic school teachers are unqualified, and this underscores the measure of challenges in the education system.
