Over 13,000 candidates participated in the May edition of the Teachers’ Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE), conducted by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) on Saturday.

The Acting Registrar of TRCN, Stella Nwokeocha, disclosed this while monitoring the exercise at the Computer-Based Test Centre of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in Wuse II, Abuja.

“We have a figure of 594 people writing at this centre. There are some other centres in other states. But altogether we are looking at around 13,700,” she said.

She stated that reports from centres across the country indicated a hitch-free exercise, adding that due to the rescheduling of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the PQE was, however, shifted in some states.

“All the reports we have been having, they are saying they have completed the exams without any problem. We have not had any negative reports at the moment,” Nwokeocha said.

“This exam continues on Sunday because of the JAMB issue. So we have to shift the dates for those in Lagos and the South East. So some of them will be writing on Sunday, and at Enugu they will be writing on Wednesday.”

Also speaking at the Abuja centre, Chairman of the TRCN Governing Board, Dr. Saliu Mustapha, lauded the smooth conduct of the examination and the large turnout of participants.

Mustapha, who is also the National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), described the exam as a critical step toward sanitizing the teaching profession.

He emphasised ongoing efforts by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, to weed out unqualified teachers from classrooms through the use of technology.

“We are trying to make this IT-driven. We want to see that we have a database where all teachers will be found. As time goes on, we may have to make it public.

“So that if, for example, you have a tutor of Year 3 or Year 4 in your primary school of your children, you can go online to Google. You can see if she is on the platform of the TRCN. If she registers, you know whether she is qualified to take care of your children or not.

“A parent can do that. In a situation where we do that, people will know. They will hold the teachers accountable and the schools, especially the private schools, accountable to see whether these teachers are properly qualified or not.

“So, the Minister has launched an IT-driven platform where all these things are integrated. And you can access it from anywhere to see whether somebody is qualified or not. The Minister of Education now has a platform where both JAMB, UBEC, everybody is on that platform.

“So, from there, there will be a link that will take you straight to the TRCN. You either register for exams or pay for your certificates and do all these things. So, we have a very mega platform now at the Ministry of Education due to the initiative of the Minister.”

The representative of the Minister of Education, Ismaila Adiatu, also expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the examination.

Meanwhile, the Director, Certification and Licensing of TRCN, Dr. Jacinta Ezeahurukwe, said the PQE results are expected to be released in a week time.

Ezeahurukwe also called for improved funding for the Council to enable it tackle operational challenges effectively.