The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has expressed concern over the Federal Government’s decision to waive the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) requirement for admission into Colleges of Education.
The union warned that the policy, if poorly implemented, could weaken teacher training standards and affect the overall quality of education in the country.
NUT President, Titus Amba, raised the concern on Tuesday during the 21st Century Teachers Workshop organised in collaboration with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) in Abuja.
Amba said the union was not adequately consulted before the announcement of the policy at the 2026 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) policy meeting.
He stressed that stakeholders in teacher education must always be involved in major reforms affecting the sector.
“When you announce that you’ve given waiver to students going to colleges of education, it gives the man walking on the street a different thinking of the seriousness that is attached to producing credible teachers,” he said.
According to him, removing the UTME requirement may send the wrong signal about how seriously the country values teacher preparation.
“We felt a bit worried because policies affecting institutions that produce teachers for future generations must be carefully considered,” Amba added.
He argued that teaching should not be treated as an open-entry profession without strict screening and proper academic grounding.
Amba further warned that allowing admission into Colleges of Education without standard entry evaluation could reduce public confidence in the teaching profession.
He noted that many graduates without teaching backgrounds now enter classrooms due to limited job opportunities, a trend he said undermines professional standards.
“Teaching should not be seen like that. Teaching job should go beyond that,” he said.
He emphasised that teaching, like medicine, law and journalism, requires structured training, commitment and professional discipline.
Amba also recalled the traditional system of teacher education, where candidates passed through rigorous training and teaching practice before certification.
He lamented the disappearance of earlier teacher training structures at the secondary level, which he said once helped build a stronger foundation for the profession.
According to him, the gap has contributed to a situation where individuals without pedagogical background now see teaching as a temporary job option.
“Teaching should not be seen as a stop-gap job,” he said.
The NUT president called for improved admission standards, better funding for teacher education and stronger welfare packages to make the profession more attractive to young people.
He also urged government to invest more in infrastructure and digital learning facilities, noting that many rural schools still lack access to computers and internet services.
While supporting digital assessment systems, Amba stressed the need to bridge infrastructure gaps to avoid excluding disadvantaged students.
He concluded by urging government and stakeholders to adopt policies that restore public confidence and elevate the status of teachers in Nigeria.
