The Director General of the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) Kaduna, Prof. Musa Maitafsir says it plans to introduce a mandatory one-year Teacher Internship Programme by January, 2024.
Maitafsir disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja when he addressed newsmen to mark the 2023 World Teachers’ Day.
The day has as its theme ‘The teachers we need for the education we want: The global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage.’
Held annually on October 5 since 1994, the day is observed to commemorate the adoption of 1996 ILO/UNESCO recommendation concerning the status of teachers.
The day also focusses on the rights, responsibilities and standards of teachers’ initial preparation and further education, recruitment and employment.
Expatiating on the planned internship programme, the director general said that it would be introduced in partnership with the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).
He further stated that the programme was initiated in compliance with Section ‘C’ sub section (1), page 21 of the National Teacher Education Policy (NTEP) (2014).
It states: ”After graduation from any Teacher Education Programmes, every new teacher shall be registered by the TRCN after at least one year of successful Internship and Mentoring to qualify for licence.”
Maitafsir said that the internship was a mandatory programme that is expected to last for one year for the holders of NCE, B.ed, PGDE, M.ed and PhD in the education sector.
He added:” The duration of one year is similar to Internship Programmes of other professions like Law and Medicine.
“This will be operated in two diets, March and November of each year before or after the commencement of NYSC by those with Degree Certificates.”
Maitafsir, however, said that the programme would only be applicable to would-be teachers and not for those that have already been inducted by TRCN and given its certificate.
He said that the programme would acquaint the ‘Trainee-Teachers’ with the practical knowledge of trashing and learning process.
“They include E- facilitation and teacher intergation in teaching skills, psycho – principles of commitment of teaching and delivery and retention techniques.
“Others are aesthetics and conventional wrong skills, entreprenurship education skills and monthly teachers’ acculturation lectures.”
According to the director general, on successful of the programme, the trainees will be awarded with a ‘Teacher Internship Certificate’ that will qualify them for TRCN ‘Induction and Certification.’
Maitafsir said that all the interns would pay an application fee of N7,000 and an internship fee of N50,000.
He added that the programme would be run at the Institute’s headquarters in Kaduna and the six geopolitical zones in the country.
Maitafsir further stated that the programme would go a long way in advancing teaching and learning in Nigeria.
He added: “It will certainly help in producing highly motivated, efficient and effective teachers for our schools.
“FME, NTI, TRCN and all other relevant stakeholders should have their hands on deck to ensure successful implementation of the programme as enshrined in NTEP.
“The teaching profession in Nigeria had over the years been intruded by unqualified individuals making it an all- comers job and just a stepping stone to other jobs.
“There is the need to ensure that only qualified individuals are engaged as teachers to teach in schools.”
According to Maitafsir, for teaching to be fully professionalised in Nigeria, there is the need for such a compulsory internship programme for the teachers.
He explained: “The programme will ensure that only individuals that have passed through it would be licenced and called ‘Teachers’ and then be allowed to practice the profession.”
