History curriculum ready for distribution to states —NERDC

THE Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) says the new History curriculum is ready for delivery to all the ministries of education in the 36 states of the Federation.

Dr Moses Salau, Director of Research. NERDC told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Wednesday that the curriculum was completed and printed.

Salau recalled that the introduction of History into primary and junior secondary schools was approved by the National Education Council (NEC).

He said the curriculum would be delivered to all ministries of education and State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEB) across the 36 states any moment from now.

According to the director, NERDC has instructed the publishers of the curriculum to deliver them to all state ministries and SUBEB any moment from now.

“We are set for the introduction of History in the 2018/2019 academic session.

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“We have printed the curriculum and any moment from now, they will be delivered to various states.

“By God’s grace, the teaching of history will start by September 2018,” he said.

Salau said that NERDC would start the training of teachers on the new curriculum simultaneously in the 36 states as soon as the curriculum was distributed.

He said it was the responsibility of state governments to employ teachers to teach the subject.

NAN reports that the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu had said teaching of history in schools would be used as an instrument of national integration and nation building.

Adamu also said teaching of history would also enable pupils to appreciate the basis of the unity of Nigeria.

He explained that the initiative to reintroduce the teaching of history in primary and junior secondary schools was approved by the National Council on Education during its 61st Ministerial session in September 2016.

The NCE directed NERDC to carry out the disarticulation of history from the Social Studies curriculum.

The NERDC Executive Secretary, Prof Ismail Junaidu had said some of the concepts captured in the new curriculum include origins of history and people, heroes and heroines in Nigeria, political developments in Nigeria.

Other concepts listed include geography and environment, economics and trade, cultures and custom of Nigeria.

The curriculum is divided into three levels; Primary 1 to 3 (lower basic), Primary 4 to 6 (middle basic) and Junior Secondary School 1 to 3 (Upper basic).