The Federal Government through the Ministry of Education has finalised the curriculum for Basic school education and senior secondary schools, a review coming after 12 years. Addressing stakeholders on Thursday, the Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman stated that the reviewed curriculum will address the current learning crisis in the country and the encouragement of the use of more technology.
The minister also said their commitment to this review is total, non-negotiable, and on the right course at the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) Stakeholders’ Dialogue and High-Level Policy Committee Meeting for the review of Basic Education Curriculum in Abuja.
According to him: “The curriculum was last reviewed 12 years ago and it is an understatement to say what we have now addressed the need of the last five years not to think of addressing the current need and the future prospect of Nigeria.
“Report has also shown that out of four children in Nigeria at least one of them suffers poor numeracy level, poor learning level and also poor critical thinking level and these are all factors that retard national development, and we must be able to come together address them.”
The minister mentioned the benefits of the new curriculum in addressing poor learning outcomes, depreciating value systems as well as exposing learners at the basic education level to various skill development, opportunities and job creating skills.
“This will create a tendency in the learners to help them think independently, innovate, create and be able to solve various societal problems,” he said.
While noting that one of the critical aspects of the administration is to revamp the education sector to create a vibrant workforce with the ability to take up various opportunities within the economic landscape and beyond. He mentioned that the curriculum review is very important because they must go back to changing the mode of teaching to improve the perception and understanding of the children.
Similarly, the Acting Executive Secretary, NERDC, Dr. Margret Lawani, said the current basic education curriculum can no longer meet the needs of their time after 12 years of its development and therefore calls for a review.
“We recognize that the curriculum is an outcome of the decisions of the people as to what knowledge, skills, values, and competencies students should learn in school for them to live and meaningfully contribute to the development and growth of society,” she said.
She mentioned how NERDC has brought in several initiatives aimed at ensuring inclusivity and democratization of the curriculum review process to ensure that the curriculum truly reflects the needs and ambitions of all Nigerians.
“The current curriculum review drive is aimed at designing a globally competitive competency and outcome-based curriculum that will take care of critical emerging issues and provide the platform to instil 21st century skills in the learners.” she said.
Highlighting the purpose of the meeting as a strategy to produce a curriculum that will focus more on skills than knowledge and how stakeholders could suggest ways to review the framework and structure which will eventually launch into the technical process of curriculum drafting.
A curriculum review happening 12 years after its last review speaks poorly of the education system in Nigeria. Such review should happen yearly, and should extend to tertiary institutions as well.
