Does TRCN certificate and TRCN LICENSE confuse you too? They are not the same.
See exactly what the difference between TRCN certificate and license is and whether you need both or just one?
- ALSO SEE: HOW TO GET TRCN CERTIFICATE ONLINE
TRCN certificate and TRCN license (See differences)
While TRCN certificate and license may seem the same, they each look and function differently.
Content of this post
1. TRCN certificate
Just as NCE, HND or Degree is given upon successful completion of the programme.
TRCN certificate is received after fulfilling the requirements like PASSING TRCN EXAM and completing the registration.
What does TRCN certificate look like?
It looks like your school certificate. See TRCN certificate samples below.
Does TRCN certificate expire?
No, it doesn’t.
TRCN certificate is valid for life.
Once you have it, you are officially a registered ‘permanent’ member of the teaching profession in Nigeria.
What’s the purpose of TRCN certificate?
Same way your school certificate proves that you’re a bona fide ‘alumni’ member of that school.
TRCN certificate is a legal evidence of your membership with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) as a professional teacher.
The rule now states that you must process your TRCN certificate within 1 year of passing the exam.
If you wait longer, you’ll have to resit the exam and pass again.
2. TRCN license
Even with medical degree(s), a doctor cannot legally operate without a license.
The same applies to teachers.
So if TRCN certificate is like NCE, HND or Degree, TRCN license is like that school’s I.D. card.
How does TRCN license look?
It really looks like your school I.D. card. See TRCN license sample below.
Does TRCN license expire?
Yes, it does.
TRCN license is only valid for the first 3 years, after which it must be renewed yearly.
- SEE THE ONLINE PROCESS OF TRCN LICENSE RENEWAL
What’s the purpose of TRCN license?
A ‘Certified’ teacher is different from a ‘Licensed’ teacher.
While the certificate is a proof of your TRCN membership, the license is your legal ‘permit’ to teach.
A certified teacher is just a confirmed professional teacher, but a ‘licensed teacher’ status shows you’re in active service as a professional.
- SEE HOW TO COLLECT YOUR TRCN LICENSE ONLINE
Clear difference between TRCN certificate and license
| CERTIFICATE | LICENSE |
| It’s like a school certificate | It’s like an I.D. card |
| A proof of membership | Your ‘permit’ to teach |
| It is valid for life (No renewal) | Validity is renewed yearly |
| Issued after passing PQE | Issued after certificate |
| Shows you’re a PROFESSIONAL teacher | Means you’re professionally ACTIVE |
Do you need both TRCN certificate and TRCN license?
Well, yes.
You cannot even have one without the other.
To get the license, you must HAVE TRCN CERTIFICATE and if you already have the certificate, what’s stopping the license?
Holding a 20-year-old TRCN certificate with an expired or no license means you’re “professionally inactive”.
The federal government has also mandated schools to either have ‘licensed’ teachers (beyond certified) or lose their accreditation for national exams like WAEC and NECO.
And if you plan to teach abroad, global bodies require TRCN license to verify your teacher status.
Let this info guide your decision(s).
GOOD LUCK.
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