By Kassim Omomia
A Bill for an Act to amend the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Act Cap T3 LFN 2004 to further ensure that only licensed or registered and qualified persons who exhibit thorough professional conduct teach in schools in Nigeria and for related matters scaled second reading on the floor of the House of Representatives on Thursday, September 30.
The bill is sponsored by Hon. Suleiman Abubakar Gumi (APC Zamfara State).
Debating the general principle, Gumi explained that the bill seeks to amend the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria law to ensure that school environments are devoid of teachers without professional licenses and those who lack moral burden or exhibit unprofessional conducts such as child abuse, sexual molestation, and rape.
Four sections of the principal act, namely, sections 5, 10, 11, and 17 are to be amended, according to Gumi.
He explained that Section 5 (1) paragraphs (a) and (b) are amended to insert a new clause which provides that henceforth, the `Register` of all registered professional teachers shall be printed and published online for unfettered public access.
In amending Section 10; he noted that the principal Act is amended in Section 10 by enacting a new Subsection 7, which reads that, “notwithstanding the provisions under this section, any teacher under investigation for child molestation, sexual harassment, or rape of a pupil, shall be suspended or interdicted in line with public service rule, pending the determination of the case by a competent court of law”.
He stated that offending teachers, in line with the law, shall be punished by various fines, and in most cases jail terms, depending on their various infractions.
Accordingly, any registered member reported by the head of an educational institution who has such duty to report for any misconduct to a panel, such member in breach shall be guilty of an offense and liable upon conviction now to a fine of N1,000,000, instead of N1,000, or to imprisonment for a term of “six months“ against the previous “three months imprisonment”.
Plateau to devise a new strategy to restore lost glory of education
On false presentation by any person who makes false or reckless statements for the purpose of procuring the registration of a name or qualification, such person, according to the Zamfara lawmaker, is guilty of an offense, and the amendment to Section 17, sub(5), which provides for a new fine, upon conviction, of an amount not exceeding N100,000, as against NI,000; or (b) on Conviction or indictment, to a fine of an amount not exceeding, N500,000, as against N5,000 previously, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or to both such fine and imprisonment, Gumi said.
According to him, the amendments had become expedient because of the dynamic nature of current realities in the teaching environment, which calls for drastic and holistic measures.
The bill was, however, referred to the committees on basic education and tertiary services.
