The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria has urged the government to stop using engineering graduates from tertiary institutions as teachers in secondary schools during their compulsory one year National Youth Service Corps programme.
The council stated that engineering graduates were supposed to sharpen their skills during the period, stressing that they usually lose the entire year when used as secondary school teachers.
The President, COREN, Mr. Kashim Ali, made the body’s position known in Abuja on Friday while briefing journalists on the outcome of the council’s 138th meeting.
He said, “The council frowns seriously on the recent trend of posting graduates of engineering to teach in secondary schools during NYSC. This is because of the fact that it has been established that the one year forms part of their training.
“So, the practice should be that the engineer is monitored by an experienced professional from whom he should learn additional skills during his service year. We are saying that those who are posting engineering graduates to secondary schools should stop because it is not in consonance with standard practice.”
Ali also said the council had restructured for better performance on its mandate and that a consultant was working on placements and right sizing of various departments.
He said COREN had taken a decision to harmonise its registration procedure for engineering personnel with those of the professional associations.
“To this effect, engineering professional associations will now handle the screening of prospective registrants, with COREN monitoring and registering them after the screening exercise. All existing applications within the COREN registry will, however, be cleared within six months,” he added.
Ali charged all engineering regulation monitoring inspectors to be proactive and respond promptly to cases of structural failure and report incidences as soon as they occurred.
He said the ERMs served as watchdogs on maintenance and upheld engineering codes of practice in the public and private sectors.
Ali said, “On the whole, permit me to say that the ERM was set out to eliminate quackery in the profession. Also, in furtherance of its statutory duties, council has established an investigating panel and registered Engineers’ Disciplinary Tribunal.
