NAN-H-57
Policy
By Emmanuel Mogbede
Abuja, July 10, 2017 (NAN) Mrs Kehinde Fasubaa, proprietress of Battle Axe Academy in Lugbe, a satellite town in the Federal Capital Territory, says inconsistency in government education policies is affecting school operations.
Fasubaa stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja, while reacting to recent changes in school curriculum by the Ministry of Education.
Cue in audio 1 (Fasubaa)
“The curriculum has actually affected us because we don’t have a basis of what we are going to do, they keep changing it.
“They keep implementing what they want to.
“You can look at the system now they are trying to do away with some of the subjects that used to be very good, we don’t have history now, no literature.’’
Cue out audio 1
She explained that five core subjects had been combined into one in the current school curriculum.
She listed the subjects as civic education, social studies, security, history and Christian Religious knowledge.
According to her, the inconsistency in school curriculum will negatively affect the future generation especially with the absence of history.
Cue in audio 2 (Fasubaa)
“At the end of the day, we are doing away with our culture, if there is no history, what are they going to fall back on tomorrow.
“There is no history at all in our system, even in the secondary schools we don’t know much about our past heroes, nothing on ground for them to fall back on.
“If we don’t bring back history, the children will just be left without knowing where they are coming from.’’
Cue out audio 2
She further said that the alleged removal of CRK from primary school curriculum may leave the future generation without good morals and discipline.
According to her, it is in such subject that morals and discipline are impacted on pupils.
“If they are doing away with it, it is going to be unfair especially to children because it’s part of the morals that we need to have good discipline.
“ Whether you are a Muslim or a Christian, you still need the word of God to back you up.’’
Fasobaa, however, advised parents whose children were slow learners to be patient with them, adding that it was their nature as some children are faster than others.
She stressed that such children should not be faulted; adding parents should understand that while some learn faster, others might need time to really assimilate.
She decried the proliferation of substandard schools across the country a development she said could have adverse effect on the future generation if nothing is done by the authorities to address it.
She said it was unfortunate that lots of people who are not educationist now operate schools within their homes just to make ends meet.
According to her, such persons go into school business not out of zeal to impact knowledge, but out of the need to make quick money.
She, therefore, called on education authority to ensure frequent supervision of schools, especially, in major cities to enforce standards.
She added that there was also a need for education inspectors to go to villages across the federation to ensure best practices, while substandard schools should be closed.
Fasubaa, however, called on the Federal Government to support business owners by providing infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the management of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) recently said that CRK was still being taught in schools as a separate distinct subject with the accompanying Teachers’ Guide.
The council called on Nigerians to discard reports that the subject had been removed from the school curriculum. (NAN)
EEM/LAB/YEE
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Edited by Lydia Beshel/Emmanuel Yashim