Towards Effective Transformational Capacity

Contd from Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Historical Society of Nigeria (HSN)

*Economic Society of Nigeria (ESN)

*National Association of Religious Studies (NARS)

*Nigeria Association for Ed ucational Media and Technology
(NAEMT)

*Curriculum Organization of Nigeria (CON)

*Association for Promoting Quality Education In Nigeria
(APQEN)

*Political Science Association of Nigeria (PSAN)

*Social Studies Association of Nigeria (SOSAN)

*National Association of Physical Health Education,
Recreation, Sports and Dance (NAPHER-SD)

*Nigeria Association for Educational Administration and
Planning (NAEAD)

* Philosophy of Education Association of Nigeria (PEAN)
and  several others .

*Economic Society of Nigeria (ESN).

Proposal For Policy Makers

Consequent upon the above, this paper intend to call the
attention of policy makers and government to formulate policy, that will be
obligatory to serving teachers’ to show evidence of membership and attendance
of at lest one professional body’s conference within a given promotional period
in other to qualify for headship and position of directing. This to my
reasoning will make teachers register with a professional body(s) and attend
conference(s) to acquire new knowledge, idea and know the current paradigm
shift in their respective areas of discipline and improve their capacity. It is
a challenge and professional necessity.

The issues revolving around this hypothesis and argument are
common place. In the larger Nigerian society professionals in medicine, public
relations, engineering, management, pharmacy, accounting, agriculture, law,
surveying, banking, journalism, architecture take pride to register as members
and attend its annual professional body’s conference in order to improve their
capacity. Such bodies including; the

*Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE)

*Nigeria Bar Association (NBA)

*National Conference of Internal Auditors of Nigeria (NCIAN)

*Nigeria Institute of Surveys (NIS)

* Nigeria Institute of Quantity Surveys (NIQS)

*Nigeria Institute of Estate Surveys and Values (NIESV)

*The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (I CAN)

*Nigeria Medical Association (NMA)

*Nigerian Institute of Bankers (NIB)

*Nigerian Sociological and Anthropological Association
(ASAA)

*Nigerian Institute of Personal Management (NIPM)

*Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM)

* Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA)

* Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR)

*Nigerian Environmental Society (NES)

*Agricultural Society of Nigeria (ASN)

*Nigerian Institute of Physicist (NIP)

The argument of compelling teachers to become members of
professional bodies is in concert with the philosophy of National Policy on
Education and Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria projection of improving
the professional standard of teachers. Collaborating this debate Addison M.
Wokocha (2008) wrote that: Total educational success involves not only the
acquisition of certificates, skills and knowledge but also ethics, cherished
va1ues (capacity bullding/training) aptitude and attitudes.

On his part, Fiberesima (2008), argues that teachers
performances can be enhanced:

When a teacher is introduced to the latest pedagogies,
methods and strategies in teaching and new literatures relevant to his milieu
and environment he can then face the challenges in his task.

The paradigm shift in our educational system from quantity
to quality, the transformational goals of the present government, the EFA,
Vision 20:2020 and the MDGs to be achieved for the good and improvement of
citizenry and to make life more abundant and enjoyable will demand the services
of transformational teachers with motivational and mentoring capacities which
most often, such qualities and trainings are acquired through post university
trainings (workshops, conferences, submits etc).

The need to restore the teachers capacity through membership
and attendance of the programmes of the professional bodies will help the
“teacher from the know all to the seeking to know how to know; from the talker
to the listener; from the purveyor of knowledge and information to the
co-seeker of awareness and insight”.

For a teacher to be promoted or appointed into headship
position, evidence of membership and attendance to progra-mmes  organized by professional bodies is desirable
as it will afford rusty and docile teachers to be hardworking and seasoned. The
1st Annual Report of the Rivers State Economic Advisory Council (RSEAC Oct.,
2007 – Dec., 2008) proposes among others that:

Teachers’ training and re-training (in the form of refresher
courses) should be a continuous process, including compulsory attendance to
workshops/conferences of their professional bodies, and this should be factored
into the pre-requisites for teachers’ promotion (and headship of directing or
managerial positions).

Benefits Of Membership Of A Professional Body

* To improve the managerial and professional behaviour,
competence and develop ideas for teachers and school heads

*To improve the personal development and well-being of
teachers .

*To prepare and fortified professional teachers for further
leadership roles .

*To help to improve teachers contribution to the learners
and the society .

*To assist teachers to improve in their workplace attitudes
and acquire other skills to enable them prepare for future challenges .

*To stimulate their interest in their profession and serves
as catalyst to further improve on their capacity towards new trends and
policies .

* To assist teachers and others in the profession with
skills, competences and exposure to best practices in the profession . *To
acquire skills to work independently and co llaboratively.

Conclusion

Arising from the discussion so far is the need to look into
our post grad- uation teacher’s ed ucation programmes as compared to practices
in other professions. Government policy is required in refocusing teacher’s
attention towards their capacity building through membership of professional
bodies because education for all is the responsibility of all. Fafunwa
(1967.76) maintained that:

The African teacher .. is like a farmer who activities with
hoe, or any other crude instrument that is available. He sometimes succeeds but
often fails not because enjoys the opinion of failure, but because he can only
practice what he knows .. “but today innovation and charge is at his door
post”.

The teacher’s mind is like a parachute always close but
functions well only when open. I have chosen to walk the part that will make
the teachers mind open to inspire others. What about you?