New education curriculum: Distinguishing rumours from facts

In 2010, former President Goodluck Jonathan convened a National Summit on Education. The Summit unanimously agreed that the Nigerian basic education curriculum is unwieldy, about 20 subjects at the time, and recommended a reduction in the number of subjects offered at the basic level of education.  In 2012, the Federal Government approved a curriculum reform […]

In 2010, former President Goodluck Jonathan convened a National Summit on Education. The Summit unanimously agreed that the Nigerian basic education curriculum is unwieldy, about 20 subjects at the time, and recommended a reduction in the number of subjects offered at the basic level of education. 

In 2012, the Federal Government approved a curriculum reform aimed at rationalizing the subjects offering in public schools in line with global practices and standards and the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) was mandated to effect that. 

In 2014, NERDC came up with a 9-year curriculum with the subjects arranged into groups, producing a maximum of 12 subjects at the lower basic (primary 1-3), 9 subjects at the middle basic (primary 4-6) and 10 subjects at the upper basic (JS 1-3).

NOTE: English, Mathematics, French language, Arabic Language, and Business Studies (at the upper basic) are the only subjects that stand on their own. All the remaining 17 subjects in the Curriculum have been respectively listed under various subject groupings: Religion and National Values, Nigerian Languages, Basic Science and Technology, Pre-Vocational Subjects, and Cultural and Creative Arts. 

2015 was the year slated for the implementation of the reform across the nation. 

NOTE: While all the other subjects are core, Arabic Language at all levels is OPTIONAL. 

NOTE: All the above (from conceptualization to formulation of the policy) happened under Goodluck Jonathan, immediate past President,  Nyesom Wike, then Minister of Education, and Prof. Godswill Obioma, the former NERDC Executive Secretary. 

In 2016, in the spirit of continuity of government’s policies and programmes, the current Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu gave directives as appropriate for the implementation of the reform. 

Now let us look at the bone of contention, which is related to the teaching of CRS and Islamic Studies. Under the reform, as noted above, five subjects have been grouped under Religious Studies and National Values.  

These are: A) CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES (CRS); B) CIVIC EDUCATION; C) ISLAMIC STUDIES; D) SECURITY EDUCATION AND E) SOCIAL STUDIES

The Christian Religious Studies (CRS) under the Curriculum has three themes, namely: 

(i) God and His Creation (ii) God’s Call and  (iii) Keeping God in our Relationships

Also, Islamic Studies has three themes:  (i) Qur’an (ii) Tawhid and Fiqh and  (iii) Sirah and Tahdhid.

NOTE: CRS and IRS are offered alternatively as a student is not allowed to offer both.

QUESTIONS:  a) Where did the CAN leadership and its otherwise discerning fellow travellers now threatening brimstone and fire get their idea that Christian Religious Studies was removed from the school curriculum and that Islamic Studies is being foisted on the country? 

Please let us be careful what they use us to spread around in the name of politics. Even Jesus doesn’t support spread of falsehood.

Past Yakub Jonah.