Dr. Bello Zakariyau Adebayo, Head of Biology at Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin, has warned that Nigeria’s education system will continue to suffer unless urgent reforms are made in the training of teachers.
Speaking in an interview, Dr. Adebayo said the biggest problem is that teaching is not treated as a true profession. Unlike medicine or law, anyone who can speak English is allowed to teach, even without training. He compared putting unqualified teachers in classrooms to allowing a quack doctor to perform surgery, stressing that it damages children’s learning. He also criticised the poor regulation of “extra-moral” lessons, where untrained people often take charge, instead of retired teachers or certified professionals.
Dr. Adebayo further decried the prevailing practice where graduates of Colleges of Education are unfairly looked down upon despite receiving more practical training than university degree holders. He wants the government to ensure stronger regulation and recognition to improve the quality of teaching.
