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Lecturers in universities and colleges as well as teachers in public and private schools who are found guilty of abusing students risk having their degrees and diplomas cancelled by the Government to curb rampant abuse, especially of female learners. The Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development said there was an urgent need to curb the surge in sexual abuse of learners in schools, colleges and universities. Punishments such as imprisonment or expulsion from work was not enough since perpetrators always ended up teaching elsewhere using their diplomas or degrees.

Teachers must abide by the code of conduct and ethics that have been developed by their employers, the anti-corruption watchdog has said. “Compliance with the ethical and integrity standard set under these law is a duty and not a choice. No sector or individual is at liberty to choose what provisions of the law to apply to them,” said the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) chief executive officer. Teachers have rejected attempts to have their their income and assets audited while in service and on exit by by their employer, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) launched a report on the Free Primary Education (FPE) programme, after the Ministry of Education revealed that most schools cannot account for the funds. According to the EACC Chief Executive Officer, the report will help in ensuring accountability in public schools, given that heads of schools will be required to detail how every shilling allocated by the government is spent.

The Teachers Service Commission is putting in place water-tight measures to enforce performance by teachers and ensure they do not violate professional code of ethics. TSC chairman said teachers will be made to sign the teachers’ code of ethics. The teachers will be required to meet specific targets to ensure they perform to expectations.

The Niger State Governor has called on the Teachers' Registration Council to go beyond the registration of qualified teachers and enforce basic ethics for teachers, as is being done in other professions. A representative of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) also stated teaching could only be a respected profession if there is standard ethics.