-' '. A Journal oftbe Department of Educational Management, University ofL.go~

LAGOS JO R AL OF EDUCATIONALAD L. I T TIO AND PLANNING (LJEAP),

OL. 5, NO.l

1.:-9':--7S-B- r mber, 2017

A Journal of the Depart. lent of Educational Management,University of Lagos

AJournal oftht Dtpartment of Educational Managtmenl, Uninrsil)' of Lagos

Editor-in-ChiefProf. R. A. Alani

Editorial ConsultantsI. Prof. D. O. Durosaro (Department of Educational Managcment, University of

Ilorin, igeria).2. Prof. J. B. Babalola (Department of Educational Management, University of

Ibadan, igeria).3. Prof. Olusegun Sogunro (School of Education and Professional Studies,

Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, U A).4. Prof. Penelope Lisi (School of Education and Profes i nal tudics, cntral

Connecticut State University, New Britain, USA).5. Prof. Jacqueline Orarn- hortt (Dean, Graduate Scho of Education, MI 0

University College, Jamaica, We t Indies).

Editorial Committee Membersl. Prof. R. A. Alani (Chairman)2. Dr. 1. A. Adetoro3. Dr. M. N.Amadi4. Dr. Sola Thomas5. Dr. JacobAdeyanju (Secretary)

Advisory Board1. Praf. S. A. Oyebade (HOD, Educational Management)2. Prof.Aloy Ejiogu3. Prof. P. O. Okunola4. Prof. VirgyOnyene5. Prof. S.A. Bello

Method ofSubmittingArticiesl. Manuscript for submission to the editorial board ofLJEAP must be submitted

on line to universityonagos_e@yahoo.com2. Manuscripts must be typed using Microsoft word on A4-size paper, double line

pacing with one inch margin all round using font 12 and Times ew Roman.The ab tract should not exceed 250 words.

'I. Key words of not more than five words should follow the abstract.I Ill' l'OVl'1 [la re must include: the title of the article, author's name, phone111111111'I, \'llIilll address and in titutional affiliation.

/, 111IIIIIIp III\lolli)llowthe6,hedlti nofAPAmanual.1111'11"I 11111111111\ 1I \ d I 'i]lil 'l' includm •abstra I, fi iurcs and references

A Journal of tht Department of Educational Managemtnt. University of Lagos

Objectives of the JournalThe Lagos Joumal of Educational Administration and Planning is the officialpublication of the Department of Educational Management, Faculty of Education,University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos. igeria. Its major aim is to disseminatemformauon and findings on articles and researches in the area which include but not11I11Itedto Educational Administration and Planning and other related fields, TheJournal's operational purpose is to publish original and scholarly works in the areas of. I .ulc: ,11Ip Effectiveness, Principalship, School Climate, Job Satisfaction.I colllel'IlIP Behaviour, Human Resource Management, School Plant Planning,<"lllIetllrc of Educational Management, Demographic Analysi of Educationalplanmng, Educational Financing, Budgeting, Politics of Education, Policy Making inl-ducauonal dministration and Planning, Economics of Education, Developmentl:conOll1l s and School Business Administration and Management Information SystemIn Educati nal Administration and Planning.

Publication Chargesl. Assessment fee ofNGN5,000.OO (or USD 35) should be paid into the

following account for thc paper to be peer-reviewed:Account Name: Dr. Martha . AmadiAccount No.: 0224595861Bank: WEMA

2. After peer-review. ifthc paper is accepted for publication, a sum oflG 15,000.00 (or USD95) would be paid into the same account

iii

AJournal of the Department of Educational Management, University of Lagos

TABLE OF CONTEl\TS

I. hool Pnncipals' Managerial Skills and Teachers' EffectivenessIn Osun State Illgh SCIHlUI, - Ajudi, Olugbenga Timothy

2. Srhullll'llll .rpnls' Leadership Role Performance in Private andPuhhr Sel'oll(i;IIY Schools In Delta State, Nigeria - Ajero, J. I ..Suic,S A I" 1lL'llo, '.A.S 'hool Clunutc and Teachers' .lob Performance in SelectedPuhh 'S' .ondary Schools in Lagos State -Ajibade,Itl(llll Adchsnyo &Adebiyi,Adebukola Dorcas

4. ('ol1(lIt IOns of Service and Attitude to Work Performance of Staff111Nnuonal Exnrninations Council (NECO), Nigeria -Atanda,A. 1.

11()(1111,ILJ.Univ 'I sllIllasic Education Act in Nigeria: A Reality or Fiction?

Ju 'oh Ad .ynnju(). R' I .xumuun "I'c.:aching as a Profession in Nigeria - Patrick O.

Ak msnn II7, So I() I'l'OIlOI11le r actors as Determinants oLeisure Utilization

IIIlHlIII'1 ,'sH\(.olltial Students of University Of Lagos - Ige,I ,IWIl'I'll' ()Iusola &Ajibola, G. S.

H, Mot rv.u Ill!, nud Retaining Tertiary Institutions' Academics101 NIIIHIII,II'II nnsformation - Kazeem, Olubunmi A.

I) M('III1IIIII!, IIIHI'11ansforrnational Leadership: Impetus forSUI ('I VI 01Y ('Ill ' 'I Development - Obadara, Olabanji E.

10, Ell 'ct ul ('lIltllllll /\1 ts and Traditional Festival Promotions ono .io 1',(ununuc and ourism Development of Communities in

Oyo Stilt ',NI!, 'Il(l ( yekunle Oyelami Ph.D.11, 'lill1[1t' ('hlllll'" illId lmvironmental Sustainability:

lrnphcat HillS 101 hili .utional Attainment in the Niger Delta RegionN '011, I' I J/O\..,I I'" Il'l .miah A. Adetoro.

12, 1I11001lHltl0l1SIIIIIIII!, 1111(1Awareness on Sexually Transmitted Diseases(S'I'J)s) nmon , 1IIIIl'I '1111'Adults in Ogun State

Ad 'WII I 1:11/III\\'t 11 Ill! 'd • & AdegboyeAdeboyeJohnson.11. lnuovnuve J)II ('rl 1l!1I 101 1\11.cuvc Educational Policy Implementation

III Ail h11()II '«III(IIIIH'1 '(' 'SSIOII - Profe sor John I. Nwankwo.I I 1(', IIl'l Jldllllllll!il 1I 1111',11111",Qunlity Technol gy trategics for

1111'11('1hllll IIHIIII \'\ 1IIIlI III NII' 'Iia Mnrtha Nkc .hinycrc Arnadi

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A Journal of the Department of Educational Management, University of Lagos

SCHOOL PRINCIPALS' MANAGERIALSKILLS AND TEACHERS' EFFECTIVENESS

IN OSUN STATE HIGH SCHOOLS

Ajadi, Olugbenga Timothy

AbstractPrincipals' managerial skill is the abilitJj of a high school Principal to perform managerial[unctions effectively ill the school with readiness and dexterity. Skills require knowledge al1dability to apply that knowledge coinpetenilv while efficiency has to be acquired by practice.However, the effectiveness of teachers in OSUIl State public high schools has been ununpressiuetohcn students' leaming outcomes arc considered. Therefore, this study inoestigated theeffectivel1ess of Principals' managcrin! skills all teachers' effectiveness ill public high schools inOsun State. Two research questions were raised and allswered in the study. A Questionnairetagged Principals' Managerial Skills alld Teachers' Effcctiuencss Ouestionnaire (PMSTEQ)was used to collect data [rotu 126 16POlldcllt:; selected fro»: 63pll/llLc scnic: high <rhoot« arm-sthe State. Simple percentage and multiple regressions were used to 1II111lyzethe data. TIle resultsshow that three identified Principat moncgcria! skills had impact on teachers' effectivelless ill

variOllS degrees ill Osu n State high schools. As a result, seminars, traillillg and workshopsshould be organized for principals in the schools Oil acquisition of the technical, human lllldconceptual skills il1order to increase teachers' effectiveness ill their uarious schools.Ketjwords: Principal Managerial Skill, Technical Skill, Human Skill,

Conceptual Skill, Teachers' Effectiveness, High Schools

BackgroundThe role of a School Principal in the development of secondary education inany society is immense. Each high school in Osun State has the Principaldoubling as chief administrative and/ or accounting officer in the day-to- dayoperation of the schools. The Principal also ensures that the objectives of theschool are achieved. In schools with an average population of 250 to 350students, there is one Assistant Principal who is responsible to the Principaland carries out administrative and academic duties assigned by the Principal.However, in large schools with an average population of 350 students andabove, there are two Assistant Principals who carry out admini trative and

1

-s &iMaflurlumuH@Uij',e*-w '-'---. . I' . The roles of values. Faculty

te comma ity:T IT R (2004). Reducing corpora

y er, .' . p . 4989Scholarship Series apet. . . (UBE)

. al basic educatIOn. D E (2010). Influence of umvers . Enu u State on

Umeano, E. C. & Adlmora~ed' b~ junior secondary school tea~h~s; Obi~ma (Eds.),monttonng as percer work. In B.G. Nworgu an . . fEducation.their interest and attitude to 9S _ Ill). Lagos: Nigenan Academy 0Ulliversal baSICeducatIOn (pp. d

2003). The effects of school-base .

Wilson S. J., Lipsey, M. W. & Derzon.' J. bHe'll~ViOf'A meta-analysis. Journal oj

, aggresslVe'intervention programs on I I 71 136-149.Consulting and Clineal Psyc 10 ogy, .

Il

A Journal of the Department of Educational Management, l'ni\ersi~ of Lagos

• RE· EXAMINING TEACHINGAS A PROFESSION IN NIGERIA

Patrick O. Akinsanya

AbstractTeaching as a profession in Nigeria has attracted a lot of criticisms from inception. At thiscontemporary times, when it should be takenfor granted that such debates have beenfinally putto rest, certain [eatu resand practices in teaching still compel researchers to quenJ if teaching hasbeenfully professiona/ised in Nigeria. This paper, thus, attempts some conceptual clarifications011 teaching as a profession. It examines the principles and characteristics of a real profession,and tries to si tuate teaching as practised in contemporary Nigerian society wi thin the context ofiue considered principles mid characteristics. The writer avers that the present day teaching inNigeria does not satisfy most of the professional criteria considered, as witnessed in otherprofessions such as medicine, law, engineering, etc. The problems militating against the fullprofessionalization of teaching in Nigeria were analysed and some recommendations were madesucu as fostering a pragmatic synergy between Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria(fRCN) alld Teachers' Unioll for collaboration on such issues as training of teachers, teachingpractice, internship, certification, registration, accreditation alld other important issuesrelatlllg tofull projessionalizatton.Key words: Teaching, Profession, Contemporary Nigeria, Principles andCharacteristics of a profession.IntroductionThe Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) was established in 1993.Its purpose was to transform the teaching profession to the highest standardspossible with particular respect to the quality of teacher-educationprogrammes, registration, licensing, professional development, professionaldemeanors, and overall social status of teachers at all levels of the educationsystem. Despite these efforts, the profession still leaves much to be desired,especially when compared with other professions such as medicine, law,engineering, surveying, etc. The features which distinguish professions fromOccupationsare still conspicuously missing in teaching. There are still recordsof unqualified and unprofessional teachers in classrooms in large numbers,and most of the qualified teachers are not yet registered or licensed. It seemsthat not much re-training for professional development is going on especiallyat the primary and secondary tiers of the system. There are !o many

69

i,ni"ih!ttlIJIMU@li,j[,j,ji,t;';.rinfiltrations and unfavourable external influences. Remu~erations, albeitbetter than before, but not yet commensurate with efforts dissipated. Otherproblems observed are poor working environment, low self-e~tee~, weakene~esprit de corps, and a host of other challenges. So, one can Justifiably ask: IS

teaching really a profession in present day Nigeria? To attempt an answer tothis question, it is pertinent to clarify some key concepts.

Conceptual ClarificationWhat is Teaching?Teaching is th art of a tc her done to disseminate k~owledge to a group oflearners. It impli '5" knowl 'dgcable and experienced individual transfernngin a systcmati wav, th 0 kn wledg arranged in the curnculum to ano~herindividual who prcdisno-c- hims If to learning (Akinsanya,2013.). It IS adelib re tc, Livity whose lun uon is to assisl or gUIde people m skll.ls, nghtattitudes, id', Is and proponsit i '~ 11'cd d to fit in into the society. It IS an arlrequiring some dext .rtt , principl '~, protocols and methods between twoparti ,~-th 0 l -ach -r and lh -Ic.urwr.

Whal is Profes ion? . .According to Ad -ban]o (Ill):)), i\ profession is an occupation which claimsexclu ive tcchni al (Omll'll'nu', _,nd adher s to the "service ideals" and

d L· I I' { I t 11i hi I vIor 1I 1)1 nccupiltion with respect toc1\OWe ' nlL~ Ll ll,~' • to .specialization of tr: dinj; ,\I1d qu.rht III orgill1l1<tLicn. It is one whereinmembers acquir knowledg 0 on which Ihcu oc upc lion is ba~e~: They alsodevelop the spirit of logelhertwss, "lx-longm ·...s" and r 'sp .nSI.bll1ty, as theyassume a feeling of moral concern lOWMds {wnls/ cu •.•~om .rs, with lh. s~mt ~fadvancement of the profession. Exarnpl 'S 01 o upau: ns that f~\l within thiscontext are medicine, law, surv ying 'ngin' 'ring, int or alia. Th Y recharacterized by some principles uch as:1. Humanitarian service: This means that pr f S•.•ions .IT' m ant to

ensure the general welfare of people. .. .2. Uniqueness of service: The type of service re~dered III ~ pr f SSI n If

special to that profession, and no occupation or Job offers l e am typeservi ce.~trong commilment: 1tis a career.

h· t of liability for carrying out a1'l'sl'pn •.•ibility: T ere IS accep ance

dill . If Th . 0111\,11IIHh'I'I'ndl'nl' I, ch profe sion is controlled by itsetr. ere IS n111,11111fill . 11'111,111IIII'IIIIpllon or' I11I11t1ndinginfluence (Akinsanya,

:\

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'1111

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A Journal oftbe Department of EduutionalManagement,llohersity of Lagos

Characteristics of ProfessionsEvery profession has certain characteristics distinguishing them, andaccording to Akinsanya (2008), the list includes:1. Life-long professionalism: Every profession is a career which lasts all

through life. Once professionalized, a person always remains aprofessional till death. For instance, a medical doctor remains so evenwithout practice or after retirement.

2. Services to the public: A profession is made up of people who rendersome specific services which no other person in another field mayrender to the pu bl ic.

3. Training: Long period of training in educational institutions.4. Duration of training: Such training must have a particular duration.5. Minimum entry qualifications into the field: It is not often open to every

Tom, Dick and Harry.6. Specialization: Because there are different aspects to a profession,

specialization is required of adherents. In this case, one chooses adelineated aspect of the profession, after having undergone therudiments of such a profession.

7. Hierarchy: There is a line of hierarchy.8. Certification: Every professional is certified before going into practice.9. Internship: Before practice, there is a period of internship. This will

enable members to blend the theoretical training with the actualpractice on the field.

10. Comprehensiveness: There is comprehensiveness of organizational setup.

11. Formal registration: This is always typical of a professionalorganization.

12. Belongingness: The spirit of 'esprit de corps' radiates strongly amongmembers of a profession.

13. Responsi bili ty: There is acceptance of responsi bility.14. Intellectual work: Involvement in some amount of intellectual work

and brainstormy sessions.15. Autonomy: There is autonomy of profession. This is the liberty to

contr I or determine the practice and the modus operandi of aprofes ion, with re triction to any undue interference or interruptionfrom out ide the fi Id.

]6. Cod of ethics: There is a code of ethics/ conduct which regulates thed meanours of practitioners, especially in their interactions withclients or customers as the case may be.

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IM."I!:j,.ij@@iiki·,.,I'i'·f41M!i!The question which begs for an answer at this juncture is: Does .teaching incontemporary Nigerian society fit into the above enumerated characteristics ofa profession? This question is delineated to Nigcria because teachmg In mostparts of the world (e.g. Britian, U.5.A., France, Germany and otl:er d~ve1llpcdcountries) is regarded, observed and practised as a profession I'his ISmainlvbecause teZlching readily satisfies the tenets of a profession in those couuures.Can the same be said of Nigeria? A quick examination of tcaching in l\:lgl'ri,)vIs-a-vis the considered characteristics is useful here

Teaching in Nigeria: A Profession?Succinctly, teaching is not thoroughly regarded as a career in Nigeria. Thereasons for this are based on not-too-rewarding remunerations and cond monsof service given to teachers. These situations make Nlgerian teachers (e\'e~1thehighly trained ones) to take teaching as mere stepping stones to grea~~r h~lghts !

or as the last resort (Olori, 2007). So, once there is a better offer 111politics, m thecorporate milieu or even in the ministry, teachers begin t~ s,:,:tch jobs. .Second, teaching provides basic services to the public. Ihrough teaching.certain values, norms, etiquettes and the general rraduion of the Nigeriansociety is passed from one generation to the next. Teaching helps to prepare theyounger generations for the task of taking Nigeria to a higher level of

development.In the leaching profess" on ther= is a long neriod of training 111institutions oflearning. To produce an NCE holder (which IS at present. the mll1l.mu~llqualification in teaching), it takes nothing less than fifteen ypars, that IS, s~xyears in the primary school, six years in the secondary school and three years mthe College of Education; while A degree holder will also sI" .nd nothing lessthan sixteen years. To begin a National CertificatL In Education (NCE),Bachelor Degree in Education (B.Ed, BSc.Ed., B.A.Ed); Master Degree inEducation (M.Ed), even Post graduate Diploma in Education (P.G.D.E)programmes, or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D), there are laid down requisites.'\"l',lching is not an all-comers'affair. There are durations for these trainings.

1IIIIItllly 111 .rc (Ire specializations in teaching. Teachers are not jack-of-all-11 \11. ""l" SOI1W b,1S1Cintroduction to the profession, some specialize in

I 1.1"1 \', IIIIlIlllgV,philosophy, management, business education, primaryI I I I 11 I. 1 ,I Tlw~l' lollo\\' a long period of specialized training

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3 years4 t'MS

11\I 'l',lrs which i.t takes to earn a

A Journal of the Department of Educational Management. University of Lagos

degree outside of Education (for non-. education graduates).

In the teaching profession, there is a line of hierarchy. Every subject teacher hasa Coordinator, ~ho has ~ Head of Unit, who has a Head of Department, whohas a Dean or Vice-Principal or Assistant Head Teacher as the case maybe, andthe Vice-Chancellor or the Principal or Headmaster, and so on.

Not all those who parade themselves as teachers in Nigeria are certified. Weoften have case.s of graduates of other disciplines outside education, who, outof no JO~ security or job availability, stray into teaching. Such have not beentutored m the art of pedagogy or andragogy, but we still have them in ourschools. Another related issue is that the process of certification of teachers iswrongly don~. A situation where the government and educational institutionscertify ~rachhoners, without the involvement of the body in charge of Teachers15 cer.tamly wrong. ~his is contrary to what operates in other professions. Evenin Nlge~la, professions like medicine, law, engineering, surveying, etc, aredeeply Involved In the process of certification and accreditation of theirmembers.Internship is observed for the teacher trainees, As a matter of fact, educationgraduates are always made to pass through teaching practice where they areexpect~d to apply the knowledge they have learnt in the classroom. Non-

, education graduates are not trained in the art of teachinzo

On registration, one can confidently say that there is rezistration of teachersBut this should no~ be done by the NUT or ASUU or COEASU, but solely b;Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) which is a body constituted:y the F~der~l governme~t. Other professions subject new entrants toest/ eX~mlnat1On,. after which they could be registered and inducted by the

pr.ofess1Onal bodies themselves. Such registration certificates could bewlthdra.wn by the bodies if the registered member is found to have committedSome misdemeanours against the ethics of the professions. This is not the case:tl.1teachin? Although the T~CN has recently announced that it will begin to. bject applicants for admission to qualifying examination, one finds muchmterference by the government in teachers' affairs.

Teach' fessi .mgpro ession enJoys some sort of esprit de corps. To some extent there istogetherness. Teaching in Nigeria is a mixed bag of education graduates andnon-education graduates; interested fellows and uninterested fellows' byCOrn . tt d d not so-cornmi 'rru e an not so-committed people. This affects togetherness to a largeextent.

73

\'fiijii,il,iftMMjium.'l'ji'j§B'li,Th r is an acceptance of responsibility for mistakes committed in the system.Teaching is a service that is not rendered in isolation. Other stake~01ders likehome, peer group, religious organisations, media houses contnbute to thepro ess of moulding a child. This situation does not give chance to lay directblame on teachers for any mistake or failure detected in the system.

There is an involvement in serious intellectual work, albeit we may not have ageneralization on this issue. The fact is that some teachers ar dedicated toacademics (they carry out research works, publish articles and books, organizenourishing intellectual programmes, etc); while some others are do not.

There is no autonomy in teaching profession in Nigeria. It is a field which hassuffered and continues to suffer interference from the government. Thi is onof the reasons why teaching is frequently regarded in s me quarters as a mereoccupation, and not a profession. Every profession must b . able to control a\lmatters which involve its practitioners in relation with the chent or customers.Teaching has codes of conduct. But interestingly, these co~~s appear to be.oneof secrecy because they are not readily available to practI~lOners In the .held.This gives room for claims of ignorance on the expectatIOns ~d duties ofteachers and those acts which constitute an offence and what sanctIOns to apply

in teaching.

From the foregoing, therefore, it is easy to conclude that teaching in igeriadoes not yet reflect a good number of the features of a profession, and thus,cannot really be said to be fully professionalized, unlike what obtains in otherclimes. This means that there are some problems which militate against the fullprofessionalisation of teaching in Nigeria.

Problems Militating Against Full Professionalization of Teaching in Nigeriame of the challenges affecting teaching in Nigeria are:

Th tanding of Teachers' Unions'l'h '. ut nomy which teachers' association does not have, has not given it free-h,lIld to -n or what goes on among members of the association. Relatedly, the

1,1II 111111 groups/as ociations denies teachers of formidability. ~nl~kelilt tilt 111\' whn h has only on b dy regulating its activities - NMA (Nlgenan

h .lIt I l 1111111 11), \..IW h,\~ NBA ( ig rian Bar Association), Teaching has1 II1 ,\ 11,', (ll t, U, A \JI', A, U r ach taking care of a tier in the

11111111111111111 I1 IIH'dllll'I4'I\III\ldl\'~d\lhilV() than good.

A Journal of the Department of Edueational Management, l'oi\"trsi~ of Lagos

Mode of RecruitmentThe mode ~f recruitment in teaching allows for quacks to creep in into thesyste~. This may be due to the fact that certification, registration andrecruitment/ selection of teachers are often done by the government throughTRCN.

Work EnvironmentTeacl~er's work environment.s in Nigeria are mo tly unconducive for teaching-I arnmg proces.ses. This begins from the jam-packed staff rooms to the stuffyclassrooms. !hls .creates problems. First, the teacher feels discouraged whencompared With his counterparts in Banking, Hospitals, etc; Second, it does notlevate th p rson of the teacher in the eyes of the outsider who comes visiting

(the way on appears ISthe way one is addressed).Public's PerceptionAccording to Afe (200~), altho~gh teachers' remuneration seems to be getting~etter the e days, the ImpressIOn the public still has about Nigerian teacherstilts towards negativity. Teachers are most times seen as workers whoserewards ar~ piled-up in heaven. The negative impression which the public hasabou t teaching does not create room for its quick acceptance as a profession.

Teachers' low estimation of themselvesThe bulk of the public's impression rests solely on the teachers' carriage ofthemselves. The teacher is a role-model, an example to be followed, a light indarkne~s, knowle~geable with experience and the tutor. Teachers should notentertain any feeling of shame, inferiority or discontentment. The day whenevery teach.er is ~ble to proudly say - 'I'm a teacher', and carry placards, stickersand ot~er I~en~ty labels, without any feeling of shame, is the day the fullprofesslOnahsatIon of teaching will be stamped.

Poor remuneration and other conditions of serviceOne of.the goals of teacher education, as reflected in the National Policy on;~~~ation (FGN, 2013) is to 'produce highly motivated, conscientious and

icient classroom teachers for all levels of our educational system' Thi .stat d bee . . IS ISboe ause the policy-makers realize that no ed ucation system can arisea ve the quality of its teachers, and thus, teacher education and welfare:eOvU1dcontinue to b.e given major emphasi in all educational planning and

elopment. In reah ty, however, this yet to be fulfilled.

~~atic and frequent changes in education poJicie and practicet I talking in tandem with reality that our policie and dues tional prn Ii PS

~ .•. " - ..-. 75

& iSM "'mw: - . .. to the fluctuations. Rather than. f ent changes owmgcontinue to expenence requ . ther they stand in flagrant. .' lementmg one ano, .

Political system m Nlgena comp N' 'a's education contmues to. . nother Hence, Igen . .contradICtIOns to one a.. r This definitely has its lInporl

experience a kind of disjointed mcrementa Ism.on teaching as a professIOn.

· . N' eria . .QualityofEducahonm Ig . t dwindle on dally b,I~IS.. . tl country contmues 0The quality of educatIOn 111 l.e . ducation system ami practi '~Thanks to erratic and frequent changes.m e tu Ilyproducesles qu lified

hi I I f educatlOn na ra(Olori. 2007). As such, t IS eve. 0 t t learners. This situation m y go onteachers who in turn produce mcompe enad infinitum.

Economic situation of Nigeria .' manifesting in nomic. th gh economIC cnses .

Nigeria contmues to go . rou b the political class L nd their. d by mismanagement Y . I ' J tl •receSSIOn, cause . . bi between the 'few n , L nu ,

collaborators. This situatlOn results m al flgthga~ountry drives verybc dy inlc, The poverty leve 0 e'large poor masses. . d . 11 filled by m . tly th •not-so-

education system. it, then, becomes a fiel typlCa ytechnica\1y grounded in teaching.

Secrecy of Code of Conduct d 1 when they have It and live b) ItsId lv abi de by the eo e on y . .,.Members cou on Y a I . d based on the teL\chJJ1!!,.ou " It

- . f I lectures are orgamze . blcontents.Intact,l regu ar . I h 1 tl eTRCNhasmadclt,IV<l1ia e· h . I t di ectlOn At ougn l.wouldbeastepmt e ngn rr . d thathlrdconi's,Ircgiv>ntoldb ma etoensure ' r'on the in ternet, yet efforts cou e

every teacher the day he/ she assumes work.

. , P ogrammesTraining and Re-trammg r . . tellectual exer ises. Ate, cher IS· I . volves ngorous m JT aching, in an Idea sense.rn . 's subiecl area. Keeping updi1tl'lIt ary Issues on one s su )

10 be updated on con empor . . ves The system we h,\\ t'.' d e trammg programn .\'JlI,lil<"lllldergoing training an r - h ort for teachers to embark ,>11

d not gIVe muc supp :I1111I'IIHlnd, however, oes .' I £f t the qualit)' of instruction ,1J1L, d thi dehmte y a ec sIHh l'III!',',l1nJl1l'S, an ISI dill ,1111111,11 PIIII \11

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A Journal of the Department of Educational Management, l'ni\'ersi~ of Lagos

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COAESU is counter-productive. All these unions should come togetherunder one umbrella to create a formidable front. If for instance, there isa strike action involving all teachers at all levels, the government will beforced to look into the matter in few days, as against a particular ASUUstrike which began on [uly l, 2013 only to end in December of the sameyear.There should be a pragmatic synergy between Teachers RegistrationCouncil of Nigeria (TRCN) and Teachers' Union. They shouldcollaborate on such issues as training of teachers, teaching practice,internship, certification, registration, accreditation and otherimportant issues that relate to full professionalization.Government should ensure provision of good conditions of service toattract the diligent hands into the profession.The working environment of teachers should be conducive andedifying enough to attract concen tration and integrity from the pu blic.Teachers should develop a good public image. They should notunderrate themselves. This could be done when they dress modestlyand maintain discipline in all facets of life (in talking, eating,celebrations/ feasting and other channels through which modesty anddiscipline could be displayed). In this wise, they would be seen as role-models which they really are.Mode of recruitment and registration should be standardized. If it is leftin the hands of Teachers' Associations, it may be better.Government and stakeholders in education should ensure theregulation of educational policies and practices.The government and stakeholders should also ensure investment inteacher education programme. This will help improve the quality ofeducation in the country.Sensitization programmes may be constantly organized for the publicto promote the image of the teaching profession .Professional examinations for prospective teachers, which TRCN isabout to commence, should be done before such are registered. This isthe practice in other professions like law, medicine, engineering,accountancy, to mention but a few.There should be a period of internship, where prospective teachers aremade to watch and learn from the experienced teachers before beingallowed to practice.Code of conducts should be made available for free on employment,and made enforceable on all teachers.Teachers should be encouraged to explore opportunities of und rgoing

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Re-Examining Teaching as a Profession in Niguia

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training and re-training programmes for updates. This requires somefinancial assistance and permissions where necessary.Teachers should be fully engaged in intellectual exercises likesubscribing to journal articles and studies, publishing of books,attending lectures, seminars, workshops and conferences. These willkeep them abreast of contemporary issues as they bear on their specifictasks in the system.

ConclusionThe way teaching profession has been handled in Nigeria instigates concern forcontinuous examination and 're-examination of its status, This paper hasconsidered the issue as to whether teaching is really a profession or not. Thispaper has highlighted the problems confronting effective professionalizationof the teaching profession in Nigeria. The paper, thus, recommended, amongother things, that there should be a workable synergy between TeachersRegistration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) and Teachers' Union; that teachersshould develop a good image of themselves in the society. Government shouldalso adequately fund education. It is hoped that if these recommendations aretaken seriously by all stakeholders in education, teachers would finally berated as professionals just like their colleagues in the fields of medicine, law,engineering, surveying, eLc.

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;tH'ii'htlG1!'Ji@i,mtl't"@M""i'!:'M,,!ifiii'imfbOO'tl%REFERENCES

Adebanjo, O. O. (I 999). lntroducnnn 10 leacher d 'Ed e ucation, Abeokuta: Tapdamucation Publishers Nig. Ltd.

Afc, J, 0, (2001), Re/leclions 011 becoming a leacher and challecdttcation, Inaugural Lecture, Series 64, University of Benin. nges of teacher

Akinsanya, P. O. (200R). issues in Nigerian educationPublications. system ljcbu-Ode: Palt

Akinsanya, P.0, (2013). Philosophy as educalioll,3'" ed. IJ'cbu-Imu .. H fGPublications Sin. omc 0 race

Federal Government of Nigeria (2013) The ti I I'L '. na IOna po ICY on education 6" edagos:NERD , . .

Olori,A. (2007). issues ill leacher education. ljebu-Ode: Early D P bl' .. ays u rcationsTeachers Registration ouneil of Nigeria,(2005). Teachers code of conduct. TRCN

www.trcn.gov.ng

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