The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria has raised concerns over what it described as the shortage of qualified teachers in the country.
It said the shortage was more pronounced in the rural areas, saying the development worsens educational inequality.
The Registrar of TRCN, Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, disclosed this in an interview.
Ajiboye said, “The surge in the population of school children and the increase in the number of schools in Nigeria, both government and private, present a complex challenge for the education system.
He explained that with a growing population of school children and insufficient recruitment of new teachers, the teacher-pupil ratio in many schools has become unfavourable.
This, he said, could lead to overcrowded classrooms and reduced attention for individual students.
Ajiboye added that the quality of education is closely tied to the qualifications and competence of teachers.
He added that existing teachers may be overburdened with large class sizes, multiple subjects, or duties, leading to burnout and reduced job satisfaction.
He said the situation could negatively impact their teaching effectiveness.
The TRCN registrar called on governments at all levels to prioritise the recruitment of new teachers to meet the demands of the growing student population
