The Visiting Tutor and the Unregistered Colleague
Mrs. Adeyemi is the principal of a private secondary school in Ibadan. Enrollment grew from 240 to 410 pupils in two years, so she hired Mr. Bello, a graduate with a B.Sc. in Chemistry but no teaching qualification, to teach senior chemistry on a full-time basis. He has now taught for 14 months. Mrs. Adeyemi knows that teachers in Nigeria must be registered with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) and hold a practising licence, but she argues that the shortage of science teachers justified the hire and that Mr. Bello is 'temporary'. During a routine inspection, an officer asks to see the staff register and licence records. Mrs. Adeyemi also mentions that she herself holds a B.Ed. but let her own licence lapse 18 months ago because 'the renewal fee seemed unnecessary' while she was on maternity leave.
1. Identify the professional and regulatory breaches in this scenario and rank them by severity.
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Breaches identified:
- Employing an unqualified, unregistered teacher (most severe). Mr. Bello lacks both a teaching qualification and TRCN registration. Employing him for 14 months is not a 'temporary' arrangement; it is sustained unregistered practice affecting pupils' learning and public protection.
- The principal's own lapsed licence. Mrs. Adeyemi is practising as a school leader without a valid licence. A head teacher sets the standard; her lapse undermines every compliance instruction she gives.
- Absence of a compliant staff register/licence audit. The inspection exposed that records were not being maintained, which is itself an administrative failure.
Ranking rationale: Severity should track risk to pupils and to the public. Unregistered classroom practice comes first because pupils are directly exposed to an unqualified teacher. The principal's own lapse comes second because it is a continuing professional/regulatory failure by the person responsible for compliance. Record-keeping comes third as it enabled the other two.
Mitigation note: 'Teacher shortage' is not a lawful exemption. The correct route is a supervised, time-limited arrangement with a qualified mentor plus enrollment in a teacher-education programme, not indefinite unregistered practice.
2. Draft the corrective action plan Mrs. Adeyemi should present to the inspector, distinguishing immediate steps from medium-term steps.
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Immediate (within days):
- Regularise her own licence: pay renewal and provide evidence to the inspector.
- Remove Mr. Bello from sole charge of examination classes; assign a registered chemistry teacher or qualified mentor to co-teach and supervise him.
- Open a compliant staff register recording each teacher's qualification, TRCN number, and licence expiry date.
Short term (one term):
- Enrol Mr. Bello in an accredited teacher-education programme (e.g., PGDE) and support him to apply for TRCN registration on completion.
- Set a written deadline after which unregistered staff may not teach unsupervised.
- Brief all staff on licence renewal dates and create a calendar reminder system.
Medium term (one academic year):
- Recruit at least one fully registered science teacher to reduce reliance on the unqualified hire.
- Conduct an annual compliance audit before inspection season.
- Report progress to the inspector in writing.
Principle: The plan must protect pupils first, then fix the regulatory status of adults, then prevent recurrence through systems.
3. A parent argues that Mr. Bello 'teaches well and the pupils pass', so registration is a formality. How should Mrs. Adeyemi respond using professional-ethics reasoning?
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She should separate competence from authorisation. Good outcomes do not substitute for registration, because registration exists to protect the public and assure minimum standards across all schools, not to certify individual flair.
Key points for her response:
- Public protection: Registration confirms the teacher has met qualification, character, and professional-standards requirements. A parent cannot verify these; the regulator can.
- Fairness to the profession: Allowing unregistered practice disadvantages the thousands of teachers who invested in qualification and renewal.
- Risk to pupils: Even a capable teacher may lack training in assessment, safeguarding, and inclusive practice that a teaching qualification provides.
- No precedent: Exemptions based on popularity would collapse the regulatory system.
She should acknowledge the parent's positive experience, thank them, and explain the concrete steps being taken so that Mr. Bello becomes registered rather than simply dismissed. The ethical stance is firm on the rule but constructive toward the person.