Fitness to Teach rules review
Introduction
TRCN is currently reviewing its Fitness to Teach Guidelines, which define the legal and procedural framework for how we investigate referrals and determine outcomes related to a teacher's conduct or professional competence.
As Nigeria's official teaching regulatory body, TRCN maintains a register of qualified teachers and lecturers. Through the Fitness to Teach process, we investigate serious concerns raised about individuals on our register or those applying to join it.
These guidelines are essential to ensure that our work is fair, transparent, and in line with our legal mandate under the TRCN Act. The Fitness to Teach framework was first introduced following the establishment of TRCN, and this review aims to strengthen and update the process.
Watch the video below to learn more about how the Fitness to Teach process works.
What is Fitness to Teach? 🎓
TRCN's current Fitness to Teach Guidelines, established in 2017, are now under review. The purpose of this review is to:
- Ensure the guidelines align with current laws and best regulatory practices
- Improve the efficiency and fairness of the Fitness to Teach process while upholding the public interest
The current guidelines will remain in effect until the review is completed and updated rules are adopted — expected by 2028.
The review and development process will take place in three key phases:
- Phase 1: Discovery and Analysis
- Phase 2: Drafting of Revised Guidelines and Policies
- Phase 3: Implementation
This review is part of TRCN's commitment to maintaining professional standards and protecting the integrity of the teaching profession in Nigeria.
Professional Standard Authority
Independent review
In tandem with this work, we commissioned an independent review by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) of the performance and efficiency of our Fitness to Teach (conduct) process in the context of the statutory framework within which it sits.
Principles of good regulation
TRCN is guided by its governing legislation, which requires us to carry out our responsibilities in line with best regulatory practices. This means ensuring our actions are:
- Proportionate
- Accountable
- Transparent and consistent
- Targeted only where necessary
This approach aligns with the principles of "right-touch" regulation, which emphasizes balanced, fair, and effective oversight.
As part of our continuous improvement, our Fitness to Teach rules and processes were recently reviewed using adapted standards from the International Association for Good Regulation.
The insights from this review will help shape necessary updates to our guidelines and processes.
We appreciate the contribution of our regulatory partners in supporting this important work.
Call for views
Separate to the PSA's work, we issued a call for views on general themes surrounding the rules and processes such as experiences in participation in the Fitness to Teach process and the interpretation and application of the rules.
The call for views took place between 13 September to 12 November 2024, as part of our discovery and analysis phase. We received information to inform key aspects of the second phase of the project.
There will be opportunities to provide further input on the detail of the proposed changes as the review progresses during the second phase of the project, expected to commence in early 2025.
