Regina Otokpa 
The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has denied claims by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS ) that teachers holding its certificates have been asked to renew their certificates by rewriting the Professional Qualifying Examination. (PQE).
Registrar of TRCN, Prof Josiah Ajiboye who dismissed the claims which were contained in a letter by the Senate President of NANS, Akinteye Babatunde on Saturday in Abuja, explained that the TRCN certificate was obtained once in a lifetime and once acquired, it was valid for life. He added that only the TRCN license was renewable every three years as obtainable in other professions.
Babatunde had, in a letter, incorrectly credited TRCN with a certificate renewal policy, raising concerns that it would further impoverish Nigerian teachers and lead to a shortage of teachers as many may fail to renew their certificates.
Describing the alleged policy as draconian and insensitive, he had said it fails to take into account the status of an average Nigerian Student and the realities of Nigeria’s present economy.
He had stated that reasons for the non-collection of certificates from TRCN within the year may vary, calling on the council to release all withheld certificates to their bearers and immediately expunge the alleged insensitive policy of its system.
However, Ajiboye responded that TRCN’s new policy was on the validity of TRCN Professional Qualifying Examination results and not a renewal of its certificates.
He said: “Hitherto, we have noticed that many people who passed the TRCN exam failed to register immediately to collect their certificates. Some who passed the exam for several years held on to the results and refused to register (2018, 2019 …up to 2022 results).
“Management of TRCN met late last year and directed our State Coordinators to inform all institutions and other stakeholders that TRCN results will now be valid for 1 year. If you passed the PQE you MUST register within 1 year, and if you fail to do so, it means you will write the examination again.
“So, I wouldn’t know where the idea of failure to collect a certificate leading to another exam is coming from. For clarity, the new policy is that the TRCN PQE result is only valid for 1 year for anyone to obtain a TRCN certificate.”
