Towards Effective Transformational Capacity

Abstract

The study sets out to create an agenda for Government
Parastatals and other Government agencies in the educational industry to be
proactive in capacity building’ of teachers. The paper condemns the current
observable trend of professional graduate teachers as not registered members of
any subject and professional educational bodies in this age of globalization,
reforms and transformation. It makes a case for a compulsory membership and attendance
of such body’s conference(s) as a prerequisite requirement for promotion and
appointment into headship and directing positions in schools and offices.

Preamble

Since no education system may rise above the quality of its
teachers, teacher education shall continue to be given major emphasis in all
educational planning and development. FGN 2004:39.

The teacher is the pivot to the building of any nation. The
vision and mission of any society is technically translated as National Policy
on Education and reduced to a curriculum in form of achievable objectives to
the citizens through the formal, informal and non-formal education.

The business or task of transmuting such policies, thinking,
ideas, reforms, vision and missions into a reality is the responsibility of the
teacher. However, hear I am refereeing to the teacher who is academically and
professionally trained, qualified and certificated; a professional that is
skilled, competent and observe best practices.

Status Of A Teacher/Teaching

The National Policy on education (2004:40) stipulates that;

Teacher education shall continue to take cognizance of
changes … Teachers shall be regularly exposed to in Mottations in their
profession.

The opening “statement is the government thinking any
position concerning teacher education”. The government in addition to the above
through Degree No 31 of May, 3rd, 1993 promulgated the establishment of
Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN),  though its actualization was delayed until
the Administration of  Abdulsalami
Abubakar came on stream. The council has powers to  regulate the profession and teaching in
Nigeria.  The teachers code of conduct
(TRC: 2004:2) report, states inter alia that one of the objectives of the
teachers code of conduct (TCC) should be to boost public confidence in the
ability of the teaching profession to regulate itself and to bequeath to the
nation prod ucts that are capable of making maximum contribution towards the
development of the nation in particular and the nation in general. The same
report recognizing the status, responsibilities, further education of teachers,
public expectations of the teachers among others quoted the 1984 joint
International Labour Organization/UNESCO recommendation of 196. A few of the
recommendations as it relates to profesaionalization, rights and
responsibilities of the teacher is stated below:

Rec. 6: Teaching should be regarded as a profession. It is a
form of public service which requires of teachers expert knowledge and
specialized skills, acquired and maintained through rigorous and continuing
study; it calls for personal and corporate responsibility for the education and
welfare of the public in their charge capacity.

Rec.63: Any system of inspection or supervision should be
designed to encourage and help teachers in the performance of their
professional task and should be such that would not diminish the freedom,
initiative and responsibilities of teachers.

Rec.70: Recognizing that the status of their profession
depends on a considerable extent upon teachers themselves, all teachers should
seek to achieve the highest possible standards in all their professional works.

Rec.75: In order that teachers may discharge their
responsibilities, authorities should establish and regularly use recognized
means of consultation with teachers organizations on such matter as educational
polices, school organization, and new developments in the education service.

Rec.76: Authorities and teachers should recognize the
importance of  the participation of teachers,
through their organizations and in other ways, in steps designed to improve the
quality of education service, in educational research, and in the development
and dissemination of new improved methods.

This to me implies and demands that teachers has strong
responsibilities to perform in the development of the nation through
commitment, dedication and constant regulation training and re- training in
their discipline to enable them to be effective. In a simple sentence regular
capacity building of teachers is the only

way to meet this objective.

The teachers of today are requesting and demanding for
Teachers Salary Structure (TSS) like their counterparts in other countries.
Because; they see themselves as professionals with specialized skills, knowledge
and training in pedagogical, general education, teaching subject, curriculum,
teaching practice and other related areas. But what can today’s teacher do no
matter the amount he earns if part of his income is not re-channeled into
improving his capacity.

Teacher’s capacity building is not the responsibility of the
employer alone but also that of the teacher to take positive measure to improve
his knowledge by attending se1f-sponsored seminars, conferences, workshops,
submits etc.

Arising from the aforesaid, is the certainty that the
teaching profession is an activity that involves people to assist others to
learn and acquire knowledge for self actualization and life long survival. J.M.
Kosemani (2001) quoting clerk (1995) opined that “as teaching goes, so goes the
nation”. We can translate this statement to mean the extent of the capacity and
competence of the teacher is the level of the nation’s development.

Our Teachers Challenge

Supplementary to the forgoing, explains the fact that
teaching is a challenging and dynamic profession that requires constant
reading, re-assessment, re-examination and re-evaluation and updating and
positioning of oneself to be in tune with changing theories, policies and
reforms in the educational industry.

In this connection, it is evident that innovation and change
in the educational industry is inevitable; so capacity building is mandatory
for any teacher in this age and now. Do today’s teachers read? Or are teachers
rusty? We may not answer these questions
here. But surface it to say that some teachers may not have picked up
any new publication(s) in the recent past or attended any professional
conference either which may mean rustiness on their part as a deliberate and
conscious challenge in building their individual capacities vis-a-vis nation
building.

The attainment of vision 20:2020, National Economic
Empowerment and Development Strategy II (NEEDS II), Education for All (EFA) the
Transformational Agenda and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) requires
qualified and quality teachers with high capacity profile to ensure delivery of
these programmes.

Some Professional Bodies

Teachers membership of professional body(s) and attendance
of its conference is a sin qua non towards attainment of capacity building,
effective classroom delivery, (transformation pedagogy) professional competence

and the achievements of the National and international developmental programmes
and goals. By professional conference here, I am not referring to workshops,
seminars, reference meetings, submits or retreats attended. This paper refers
to summits, conferences etc organize by professional bodies which provide
platform for participants the privilege of knowing current ideas and join
others to discuss topical issues in their areas of discipline and also provide
a platform for the attainment of “Quality

Education for all throughout life”. An example of
professional bodies includes:

To be continued

Amina’ Fiberesima