The United Kingdom government has listed Nigeria among African countries whose citizens can now apply for qualified teacher status through the Teaching Regulation Agency from February 2023.
A publication to this development was announced early December, 2022 on the UK Government’s website, by its Department for Education. It advised interested applicants to take an advantage of this open doors to apply come February, 2023.
The notice read: “From February 1, 2023, teachers who qualified in the following nine countries (listed above) will also be able to apply to the QTR through the TRA”.
The applicants do not even necessarily require initial teaching qualifications as the country offers a training programme for the potential migrants.
Details of the announcement also read that teachers will be required to teach in high schools and colleges and receive commensurate compensation for their services – the UK Department for Education.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Union of Teachers has received the news of Nigerian Teachers recruitment by the UK’s government with great delight and encouraged interested applicants to apply.
Academic Qualifications
Applicants must have a minimum of two years teaching experience, a first (Bachelor’s) degree from a UK or non-UK university, an English language qualification which is the same standard as a grade four General Certificate of Secondary Education, a maths qualification which is the same standard as a grade four GCSE to teach children aged three to 11 in primary school, a Physics, Chemistry or Biology (science) qualification which is the same standard as a grade four GCSE.”
In addition, those who apply for teaching jobs from overseas will require a work visa or other immigration status to allow them to work in the UK.
They will also need a skilled worker visa from their employer.
Teachers from all eligible countries will have to show they meet a consistent set of criteria for the award of the QTS.
Over time, this route will be opened to qualified teachers from every country outside the UK.
Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Singapore, South Africa, Ukraine, Zimbabwe are countries that made the list and can also apply.