NUT Rejects FG's UTME Exemption for NCE Admission

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has rejected the Federal Government’s decision to exempt candidates seeking admission into the Nigeria Certificate in Education, NCE, programme from writing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, warning that the move could weaken standards in the teaching profession.

National President of the NUT, Audu Amba, stated the union’s position during a sensitisation workshop for teachers organised by 21st Century in collaboration with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, TRCN, in Abuja.

Amba expressed concern over what he described as the declining quality of candidates seeking admission into Colleges of Education, noting that many high-performing students now prefer universities. At the same time, NCE programmes are increasingly seen as alternatives for candidates unable to secure admission to university.

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According to him;

“Why can’t we now say that anyone going to the College of Education to become a teacher tomorrow must be among the highest scoring candidates in UTME?

“Colleges of Education are supposed to have the best candidates, but unfortunately, when people fail to secure university admission, they are told to go and manage NCE.”

He further criticised the policy, insisting that reforms affecting teacher education should involve key stakeholders before implementation.

“When you announce that you’ve given waivers to students going to colleges of education, it gives the man walking on the street a different way of thinking about the seriousness that is attached to producing credible teachers.

“We felt a bit worried because policies affecting institutions that produce teachers for future generations must be carefully considered,” he said.

Amba warned that teaching should not be treated as a profession open to anyone without proper training and screening.

“Today, we are in a situation where people who have graduated from university without any idea of the teaching profession go out there because of lack of job.

“They go there and pick teaching job. Teaching job shouldn’t be seen like that. Teaching job should go beyond that.

“When admission into Colleges of Education is granted without standard entry evaluation, the public may begin to question the credibility of teachers being produced,” he stated.

The NUT president also lamented the disappearance of teachers’ training colleges, saying the development has contributed to the growing number of individuals entering the classroom without a proper pedagogical background.

“Teaching should not be seen as a stop gap job. Like medicine, law or journalism, it requires proper training and commitment,” Amba added.

In her keynote address, the Registrar of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Dr Ronke Soyombo, stressed the need to equip teachers with digital and innovative skills capable of meeting the demands of a rapidly evolving global economy.

She said the future of Nigeria’s education sector depends largely on teachers who are technologically driven, professionally competent and able to prepare students for modern challenges.

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Also speaking at the event, Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, who was represented by Dr Iyabo Ali, called for continuous capacity building for teachers to enable them to meet global education standards.

Other stakeholders at the workshop included Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, represented by Dr Mary Aba, and Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, who both advocated stronger collaboration and professionalism within the education sector.

Senator Moro, however, expressed concern over the condition of schools across the country, lamenting that more than 70 per cent of Nigerian schools lack a conducive teaching and learning environment.

He warned that the widening gap between teachers and their working environment poses a major threat to the country’s educational foundation and future development.