Dr Uche Anunne, Editorial Training Coordinator, News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) has called on journalists to be thorough in their reportage of the education sector to check quakery, exploitation and other forms of misconduct.
Anunne made the call as a resource person at a One-Day Capacity Building Workshop for Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ECAN) on Friday in Nasarawa State.
The capacity building, which was sponsored by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria(TRCN) has the theme”Sustaining Gains of Certification in Nigeria’s Teaching Profession”.
He said factual, indepth and balanced reportage of issues around the education sector by journalists, would go a long way in ensuring national development.
The resource person while speaking on the topic: “the Media as Agents of Change:Reflections on Professionalisation of Teaching in Nigeria”, urged the media to take advantage of its role in the society to ensure educational transformation.
He stressed that certification of teachers was one area journalists should report adequately on.
“Teachers are supposed to impact on not knowledge but mould character as such it is our duty as journalists to ensure our society better supports profession.
“Beyond certification, professionals, particularly teachers ought to engage in professionalism, so as change agents, it is our responsibility to support the cause for teachers regulation and certification.
Uche further called for the establishment of a regulatory agency other than Press Council and National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) which deal more with media organisations to eliminate quackery in the media profession.