By: Rianat Ademola
Education is an essentiality for every individual and the same can be said for every country. A nation deserves quality education as there is no great nation in the absence of it. It is a cornerstone that a prosperous nations grasp firmly. Hence, without the foundation of education, the worldview of a country is limited and that country cannot achieve significant advancement.
Aware of the impact and prominence a good education brings, countries make sure that there is quality content in their curriculum. While education is key to Nigeria’s development as a nation, the quality of education that is available in the country to its citizens does not always match the demands of a globalised world. A good curriculum will assist schools to produce well educated citizens who will in turn assist in the growth and sustainability of the nation’s global competitiveness.
Some observers argue that the curriculum of Nigeria’s educational system is ill-prepared to face the challenges of the world because its content lacks basic life skills, functional literacy and numeracy.
The curriculum remains an important aspect of the Nigerian educational system, and over time it has undergone various changes. Historically, the educational system of Nigeria was introduced by the Christian missionaries and colonial masters in the 1840s.
History has it that education then was imposed on Nigeria as a Greek gift. The colonialists used it as a tool to convert Nigerians to Christianity. The basic content of instruction in schools was reading and writing which were necessary for the understanding of the Gospel. Much of such activity was concentrated within the Lagos area. However, the scope of education in Nigeria during this period was not only limited; there was no common curriculum and no clearly defined educational focus as the core subjects were Religious Studies, English Language and Mathematics.
As a result, the colonial educational curriculum was abolished after the National Curriculum Conference of 1969. The National Curriculum Conference of 1969 was initiated by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC). NERDC is saddled with the responsibility of providing strategic educational planning and development, education quality assurance, and policy formulation and implementation.
The conference orchestrated a resolution on the national philosophy of education, reviewed the educational objectives for primary, secondary, and tertiary, stipulated the role of science and technology, and recommended the control of public education. The conference birthed the National Policy of Education which ushered in the 6-3-3-4 system operated in Nigeria.
The national policy on education is a legislative guideline from the Federal Government that set standards, procedures, and implementation plans that ensure educational development and delivery of qualitative education in Nigeria.
The first national policy on education was published in 1977 but has been revised several times by successive stakeholders in the Federal Ministry of Education because of growing changes in education delivery.
The Nigerian educational system was formerly structured using the 6-3-3-4 formula, which means one year pre-primary, six years primary, three years junior secondary, three years senior secondary, and four years tertiary education.
However, in 2008, the Federal Government introduced the nine-year basic education curriculum to achieve the goals of the universal basic education programme. Thus, the Nigerian educational structure became 9-3-4, which means nine years of basic education, three years of senior secondary school education, and four years of tertiary education.
The 2014 edition of the national policy on education stipulates that the government handles formal basic education, which is compulsory and free to all. The 2014 national policy on education stipulated that basic education covers early child care and development education (creches, daycare), pre-primary education, primary and junior secondary education, senior secondary education, and tertiary education.
Call for review
Stakeholders have shown concern about how the output of the educational system Nigeria operates. Many argued that the problem lies in the archaic curriculum. The need for a review first occurred following the National Curriculum Conference in 1969. The review was spearheaded by stakeholders and experts in the field of education who expressed dissatisfaction with the then-existing education systems, which had become irrelevant to national needs, aspirations, and goals.
Recently, Executive Secretary of NERDC, Prof. Ismail Junaidu made a call for a review. “The only way we can catch up with these changes and create opportunities for our children to acquire new skills and competencies is to provide them with the requisite learning experiences through the revision of the curriculum,” he said.
Aliko Dangote, Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Group once called on policymakers to lay the foundations to bridge the skills gap in the curriculum.
Also, former President of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, called for the review of the National Education Curriculum to prioritise skill acquisition and technology, and de-emphasize certificates.
Giving his opinion on the Nigerian educational curriculum, Assistant Director, Curriculum Department, Oyo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mr Oludayo Babalola in an interview with Nigerian Tribune said: “A curriculum is the aggregate or compendium the school has to undergo. The last curriculum was reviewed in 2018 by the NERDC which is in charge of the educational conduct.
“The curriculum should be reviewed every three years because knowledge is dynamic. As a result, the Nigerian curriculum has been evolving. The curriculum has been amended and reviewed in accordance with the global standard. It changes with time and age. Historically, the past curriculum review has some subjects incorporated into the curriculum. For example, further mathematics has been introduced in the curriculum. This shows that the curriculum is not stagnant and changes have been made to suit the global need.”
Speaking on the quality of Nigeria’s education compared to other countries, he said: “To the best of my knowledge, Nigeria’s curriculum is doing well, but in the aspect of comparison other factors need to be considered.”
He pointed out that with other countries, technology and resources “are where the differences lie. Most Western countries are computer-oriented. Students have access to technology. These are the things that foster the effectiveness of their education system.”
He commented that improper implementation, apart from access to technology, is something that affects the curriculum. “Also, the curriculum is not properly implemented and the poor environment is a hindrance. An enabling environment is needed and should be created for the implementation of the curriculum in terms of resourcefulness and competence of staff.”
Refuting to the claim that the Nigerian educational curriculum is unsuitable for the global market, he said the curriculum is in line with various contemporary international standards and has infused global best practice into Nigerian education.
“Before a curriculum can be prepared, there are factors that need to be considered. Psychological characteristics, age, parent factor, environment, pedagogy, and so on, he said.
Babalola added that the curriculum has been reviewed to suit the global needs. “It is prepared to suit the chronological and mental age of students,” he said.
He noted that the curriculum is not the only issue affecting the Nigerian educational system, stressing that there were other militating factors it.
Giving his response on why the curriculum as taught in schools seems to dwell on theoretical aspects rather than the practical, he said that: “The curriculum accounts for everything, but the lack of infrastructure is stopping the curriculum from achieving its aim.”
In his words, “most schools don’t have all the facilities. A standard school of science should have at least four laboratories but most schools lack the resources and environment.”
He further said the curriculum needs to be reviewed to stay up-to-date: “A curriculum needs to be reviewed constantly as time changes. It is highly important. The last curriculum review was in 2018, which was six years ago. The curriculum needs to be modified at least every four years to accommodate global trends and innovations.
“If the curriculum is reviewed, there are notable subject skills I will advise to administer our national values; people need to know how to behave. We need skills acquisition, craft and technology so that our education can encourage self-sufficiency judging by the current state of our economy whereby not everybody will seek a white-collar job; instead they will employ themselves.”
He added that, “The truth is that all these subjects have been acknowledged in the curriculum. For instance, the curriculum includes subjects like catering, data processing, and so on. History which has been long forgotten has resurfaced in the curriculum. The curriculum has taken into yearning of the present and future generation. It only needs improvement.”