By: Chukwumerije Aja, Enugu
A former Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu has called for the implementation of UNESCO’s 20% requirement so as to improve teachers standards in Nigeria.
Okechukwu made the call while Addressing journalists during the Igwa Nshi annual festival, at Eke in Enugu State just as he lamented the poor standard of teachers nationwide as demonstrated by their poor result in nationwide examination conducted by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).
He said that poor teachers standard means poor students standard, more so when 4,169 teachers across Nigeria failed the 2025 Batch ‘A’ Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE) conducted by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).
Okechukwu appealed to Federal, State and Local Governments to as a matter of urgent national importance adhere strictly to the 15-20% UNESCO recommendation for total public expenditure to education to halt Teachers poor standard.
He submitted that education should take premium of 20% in our total budget allocation because Nigeria’s greatest resource is human capital development; especially when we enjoy uncommon 70% youth demographic advantage in an aging competitive world.
“Am pained over heartbreaking crisis of inadequate funding and poor quality in our education system. To be frank we need urgent paradigm shift to increase investments in education and learning; for with our uncommon 70% youth demographic advantage we can comfortably outsource skilled labour to the global community.” Okechukwu retorted.
It could be recalled that the Director of Certification and Licensing at the Council, Dr. Jacinta Ezeahurukwe, disclosed recently in a statement that in the nationwide examination, 4,169, representing 32.38% failed out of 8, 705 candidates representing 67.62%.
Olusola Akintonde