By Kehinde Oluwatayo

Divergent views have trailed the recent pronouncement by the Federal Government that first class and second class upper degrees should be minimum qualifications in teaching profession.
Federal government had announced that the minimum qualifications for teaching profession should be first class or second class upper.
While Some people believed that the decision will help impart knowledge to students, some said the decision is uncalled for and should be jettisoned.
In an interview with The Hope, Prof Olaniyi Okunlola of the department of Agricultural Extension and Communication Technology, Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA, the decision is right and has been the normal thing in the university system.
According to him, first class and second class are regarded as good university degrees and they are those who can impart knowledge.
“In the university system, when they want to employ people, they ask for first class and second class. Third class and pass are not regarded as good degrees and can not impart knowledge.
“Infact, in FUTA here you can not do youth service if you have third class, they won’t even employ you. So anyone who comes out with third class could go for post graduate diploma in education.
On her own, Dr Nike Oyinloye, said the decision is uncalled for. She noted that some people trained in colleges of education can teach better than first class and second class government is clamouring for.
Oyinloye, a Chief Lecturer in Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo said some people pursuing education are doing so because they are indigent students who do not have the where withal to pursue courses like medicine, law among others and some are passionate about it.
She said that until Nigeria shifts from paper certificate, it is not going anywhere adding that most people who acquire first class and second class degrees got it through cheating.
She advised government to encourage those who are on the field and students pursuing it so that more people can go into teaching profession.
Chairman of Academic Staff of Secondary Schools in Ondo state, Comrade Tajudeen Balogun opined that government should not rely on the first or second class certificate but should conduct test for intending teacher.
He called on government to fund the nation universities so that they can produce qualified people.