The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has uncovered 250 fake teaching certificates during a recruitment exercise in an unnamed state, as part of efforts to tackle the circulation of forged academic and professional credentials in the teaching profession.
The council’s Chief Executive and Registrar, Dr Ronke Soyombo, disclosed this on Thursday while monitoring the ongoing computer-based Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE) at Redeemer’s TEAP International School in Abuja.
Soyombo said the discovery highlights the need for stronger measures to verify the qualifications of individuals seeking employment as teachers.
She explained that the council had introduced certificates embedded with Quick Response (QR) codes to make verification easier and prevent the use of forged credentials.
According to her, employers can scan the QR code on a teacher’s certificate and access the TRCN portal to confirm whether the credential is genuine before offering employment.
She added that the digital verification system would strengthen the council’s efforts to maintain professional standards and ensure that only qualified and properly registered teachers are recruited into the education sector.
