Nigeria: Nerdc Launches New Basic Education Curriculum - AllAfrica.com

Onwuka NzeshiAbuja

The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) have launched a new Basic Education Course Of Study (BEC) for primary and junior secondary schools in the country. High points of the new course of study include the introduction of Basic Technology, Computer Studies, Cultural and Creative Studies, 1 major Nigerian language, as well as making Gallic linguistic communication one of the core topics right from the primary school level.

Executive Secretary of the council, Professor Godswill Obioma who unveiled the course of study at a sensitization workshop in Capital Of Nigeria said the written document have already been approved by the National Council on Education and will turn to among other things, the issues of value reorientation, poorness eradication, originative thinking, entrepreneurship and life accomplishments to guarantee that a child, on completion of the Junior Secondary School Education (JSSE), will be fully equipped for life-long living and prepared to experience Senior Secondary School Education(SSSE).

The nine-year Basic Education Curriculum, Obioma said, is divided into three levels, namely, the Lower Berth Basic Education Course Of Study (Primary1-3), Center Basic Education Course Of Study (Primary 4-6) and Upper Berth Basic Education Course Of Study (JSS 1-3). Unlike the former course of study in usage in the country, the new course of study have been infused with relevant elements of the National Economic Authorization and Development Scheme (NEEDS), with a systemic connexion between primary and junior secondary school contents.

The NERDC foreman explained that the introduction of a new course of study had go necessary because of the spreads in the old course of study which have made the latter not able to ran into the demands of the scholars in a rapidly changing world. He disclosed that in restructuring the primary and junior secondary school curricula into a uninterrupted nine-year basic instruction curriculum, the NERDC made proviso for course of study alliance and version of socially marginalized, grownup scholars and particular demand learners.

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Obioma debunked innuendoes that the new course of study meant that the 6-3-3-4 educational system have been abandoned for a 9-3-4 system and that Nigerian children will now pass nine old age in primary school. According to him, Federal Republic Of Nigeria still have got primary school and junior secondary school as distinct physical things except that the new course of study have been broken into three constituents and systematically linked to guarantee nine old age of productive basic education.

The new curriculum, introduced simultaneously in primary 1 (1) and JSS1 beginning from September 2007, but the old JSS course of study will have been phased out by June 2010 while the old primary school course of study will be phased out by June 2013. In all, the new nine twelvemonth basic instruction course of study is expected to be fully operational by September 2015.

The Federal Soldier Government introduced the Universal Joint Basic Education (UBE) programme in 1999 to guarantee unchained entree and equity to instruction for the sum development of the Nigerian child. In December 2005, the National Council on Education (NCE) directed the NERDC to develop a school course of study for the execution of the effectual UBE programme and to guarantee the attainment of Education for All (EFA) as well as the Millennium Development Goals.