FG Launches New School Curriculum

Daily Trust (Abuja)

NEWS
9 November 2007
Posted to the web 9 November 2007

By Ruby Rabiu

The federal government yesterday launched a new curriculum known as the new basic education curriculum for primary and junior secondary schools.

The new curriculum is said to address amongst other things, issues of value re- orientation, poverty eradication, critical thinking, entrepreneurship and life skills.

The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) is responsible for the compilation and completion of curriculum used as a guide to qualitative education in both primary and secondary schools.

The National Council on Education (NCE) has already approved the curriculum and plans are in high gear to produce the curriculum in mass for immediate use in schools.

The executive secretary of the NERDC, Professor Godswill Obioma presenting the new curriculum to other stakeholders in the education sector at the Education Resource Centre,Abuja said the new curriculum seeks to correct the abnormalities of the former one which was lacking in the areas of human capacity development.

Professor Obioma sensitising teachers on the advantages and effectiveness of the new basic education curriculum said it allows and gives opportunity for the students to be taught skills and educate them on the need to appreciate their culture.

He added that if teachers adequately implement the curriculum then students would be able to interact very well, which would sensitise the environment and promote peace and development in the country.

A feature of the new curriculum is the phasing out of primary science and integrated science for what is now known as Basic Science and Technology, which according to the Obioma prepares a child adequately for the higher studies by providing a solid foundation on which to build upon.

He said that Information Communication Technology (ICT) has been introduced into the primary school curriculum, alongside culture and creative art all to build the child for the hazards of the future.

In an interview with Daily Trust, Obioma said they intend to implement the curriculum on a piece meal basis, to allow for proper planning and self development. He said, "we would start from primary one and gradually phase out the old primary school curriculum, we also start with JSS 1 and phase out that of the junior secondary school.

"The curriculum has two component, the primary and junior secondary curriculum, that was the initial plans by the council on education last year , but now we have done an advocacy nation- wide on the curriculum, and they all agree that the curriculum be introduced from primary one and then taken up gradually."

 NEW NIGERIAN
November 19, 2007

New curriculum ’ll address education ills
—NERDC

From BALA B. BITRUS, Minna

THE Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, (NERDC) has expressed confidence that the new national education curriculum is capable of curing the ills of the country’s education system.

Speaking at a one-day sensitisation workshop on the new system of education for managers of the Universal Basic Education in Niger State, the Executive Secretary of the council, Professor Godswill Obioma noted that though the new curriculum was largely misconstrued by a large segment of the citizenry, it held the key to the county’s quest for total emancipation as an independent entity.

Professor Obioma said the new system was aimed at ensuring functional numeracy, literacy, technical as well as productive life-skills for the Nigerian child.

The NERDC executive secretary said the relevance and value of the new nine-year basic education curriculum which combines both primary and junior secondary schools education as the basic single point of starting education, was intended to redress the pitfalls of the old system, which he said had failed to squarely address the goals of providing basic and qualitative education for the Nigerian child.

Represented by a Deputy Director at the council, Mr. J.N. Chukwu, Professor Obioma assured that the new curriculum has taken care of the shortfalls of the former system by introducing additional subjects in line with the vision of National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy (NEEDS) and for value reorientation, poverty eradication, job creation and wealth generation.

He disclosed that some new subjects were introduced to replace the obsolete ones just as some core subjects were redefined to make the country’s educational system functional to enable it square up to the rapidly changing world particularly in the attainment of the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Under the new system, the structure is divided into three levels of Lower, Middle and Upper Basic Education Curriculum. The Lower level curriculum is for primary 1-3; the Middle level curriculum is for primary 4-6 while the Upper level is for JSS 1-3.

In each of the three levels, there are about twelve compulsory core subjects with one elective subject. English Studies, Mathematics, Social Studies, Civic Education, Computer Studies, Health and Physical Education, Religious Studies as well as French are among the compulsory subjects.

Executive Secretary, Niger State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Ibrahim Uba Hassan said in his welcome address, that the new system offered better prospects for educational development for the country.

Dr. Hassan who was represented by Hajiya Hauwa Lemu, the Director of School Services at the state office of the UBEC, assured that Niger State Universal Basic Commission would work to ensure successful implementation of the new education curriculum.