PERSPECTIVES ON NIGERIAN EDUCATION POLICY AND PRACTICE:

NATIONAL CURRICULUM CONFERENCE AS A POST-INDEPENDENCE

EDUCATION LANDMARK
By

Yusuf M. ABDULRAHMAN
Department of Educational Foundations
Faculty of Education
University of Port Harcourt
[email protected]
+234 (0) 803 234 5719

Abstract
Formal western education, contemporarily known as modern education is a benefit the country
Nigeria enjoys today after being pioneered by the Christian missionaries and subsequently
supported by the colonial authority. This is quite commendable, but the curriculum pursued for
the natives in the process of educating them through the colonial period was to the benefit of the
duo of the missionaries and the colonial administration. The missionaries’ education was to aid
the spread of gospel (evangelism) and the colonial government educated to produce useful
personnel (manpower) for colonial civil service, focusing only on liberal arts. When the
opportunities came, the country grabbed it and convened a national curriculum that became a
turning point in the education that addressed the peculiarity and needs of the ex-colonial
territory, post-independence. When the country took control and self-determination began,
series of laudable policies were formulated, but implementation became the bane. The paper
chronicled the journey of Nigerian education and the curriculum evolution. Recommendations
were provided to guide in retracing our bearing to do things better.
Keywords: Perspectives, Nigerian Education, Policy and Practice, National Curriculum
Conference, Post-Independence Education Landmark

Introduction
It is not a far-fetched information or news to anyone and in the global history of colonialism that
Europeans exerted their powers and directed many efforts at the occupation and control of many
African countries in the name of colonialism. In Abdulrahman (2014), it was clearly submitted
that the Europeans considered that exploiting the weaknesses and some glaring deficiencies of
Africans would directly translate to advantages for their own region, having realized the
abundant human and material resources harboured in the continent of Africa. To him, these were
the reasons that informed the scrambling and partitioning of Africa among the contending
European nations. In setting this record straight, Wright (2009) informs that on the eve of the
scramble; Western Europe was a century into the Industrial Revolution and clearly the most
powerful and technologically advanced portion of the globe.
Scramble for Africa which began with slow territorial acquisition through the early
1880s, followed by a competitive rush to claim African lands after the Berlin West Africa
Conference (1884-1885). The final stage of the Scramble was characterized by slower
occupation of territories and overcoming of African resistance through the first decade of the
20th century.
By 1912, all of Africa was in European hands except Liberia and Ethiopia. The period of
colonial rule that followed brought social, political, and economic change across the continent.
The African colonies would only slowly gain their independence, most doing so between 1955
and 1965. Some did not achieve self-rule or majority rule until the 1980s or 1990s. The
conference that divided Africa in Berlin 1884 according to Gathara (2015) has made nations till
today struggling, since over 135 years ago. Some are sailing through and a number these
countries still grapple with their colonial experiences. The questions are: how did the natives
fare in the hands of their colonial administrators and what development did the continent
witness? An interim answer may claim that before independence, the colonial experience of the
Africans was characterised with the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, even in education.
Among the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly; from the foregoing were the missionaries’
efforts at educating the natives formally. In the case of Nigeria and many of her African
counterparts with the same experience, Africans would not have been formally educated, if not
for the Christian missionaries.
In providing perspectives to the need for the 1969 National Curriculum Conference, one
fact which must be stated is that colonial administration had no intention to educate the natives,
ditto for the missionaries. However, the missionaries eventually got involved. Administratively,
the missionaries’ roles in the business of formal Western education in Nigeria cannot be treated
with a wave of hand. Missionaries remained the major educators and managers of education
provided to Nigerians in a formal way, for nothing less than forty (40) years before the colonial
administration’s voice was heard. Throughout the period of missionaries’ exclusive educational
activities, the colonial government was silent, so the monopoly of educational activities
continued with each of the missionary bodies providing education the way and manner it
appealed to them or based on their denominational doctrines and principles. These differences
gave rise to varying characters/features of Nigerian education, with standard being
compromised. The differences was not unconnected with the goals of missionaries’ presence in
the country which was for soul winning, spreading of gospel or evangelism and not giving
education in actual sense, this might inform why Boyd & King (1981:100) lament that:
...the church undertook the business of education, not because it
regarded education as good in itself, because it found that it could
not do its own proper work without giving its adherents, and
especially its clergy, as much of the formal learning as was
required for the study of the sacred writings and for the
performance of their religious duties.
Despite that the original intention was not to educate Nigerians, as indicated above; kudos must
still be given to the missionaries for their efforts which left us with educational stories being told
today with nostalgia.
Missionaries and Education
As it happened across the globe, which Nigeria is not an exemption, it is on record that
pioneering formal education was first by the private individuals, groups or religious entities. The
story of Nigeria’s formal education began with the Missionaries. European Missionaries actually
came for evangelism, but felt it was morally justified to give education which will assist them
achieve proper spread of gospel. Importantly, the Act of 1833 passed by the British Parliament
for abolition of slave trades was responsible for the repatriation of Africans in the Diasporas for
a convergence at a long acquired town in 1787 in Sierra Leone for the returnees (freed slaves) to
settle. This town was eventually called ‘Freetown’. Also, the revival of missionaries’ activities
in London, which Osokoya (1989) recounts, led to the proliferation of a number of Missionary
Societies such as Baptist Missionary Society (1792), London Missionary Society (1795), and
Church Missionary Society (1799).
The revival zeal of these Missionary Societies prompted their massive movement into
the field to win souls and give education, with the Bible in one hand and slate in the other. These
facilitated the Christian missionaries’ establishment of schools such that included: Wesleyan
Methodist, with Thomas Birch Freeman and an accompanied couple – Mr and Mrs Williams de
Graft arriving at Badagry, precisely on the 24th September 1842; establishing the very first
private primary school in 1843 and named ‘Nursery of Infant Church (Dienye, 2003; Abiri &
Jekayinfa, 2010).
Church Missionary’s Society (CMS, now the Anglican) arrived Abeokuta in 1842, but
on the 19th December; for evangelical survey, hoping to return later for real evangelism in 1844,
but they were disappointed to meet the community in mourning mood for the death of their late
monarch - King Sodeke of Egba (Abeokuta). Eventually, Henry Townsend and two gentlemen
in persons of Rev. (later Bishop) Samuel Ajayi Crowther and Rev. C. A. Gollmer accompanied
Townsend to Abeokuta to start evangelism in 1846 and the immediate establishment of two
schools, one for boys and the other for girls. The third adventure took the missionaries of the
Presbyterian Church of Scotland led by Rev. Hope Masterton Waddel to Calabar in 1846.
The arrival of the Southern Baptist Convention to Nigeria was in 1850, under the
leadership of Rev Thomas J. Bowen arrived in Nigeria, but started the first school at Ijaiye and
another at Ogbomosho in 1853 and 1855 respectively. The year 1857 heralded the Niger
Mission of the CMS, with Rev. Samuel Ajayi Crowther and Rev. J. C. Taylor in the front-lines
of spreading gospel. With the cooperation of Niger explorer – Mc-Gregor Laird, schools were
founded at Gbebe and Onitsha. The school at Idda in now Kogi State was established in 1864,
and other ones successively established at Bonny and Akassa. Roman Catholic’s arrival into the
country in 1868 with Padre Anthonio settling down in Lagos for evangelism. This became a
booster to evangelism and educational atmosphere. Much later in 1887 was the Qua Iboe
Mission registering their impact at places like Eket and Ikot Ekpene. So also were many
missions in pioneering modern education in Nigeria.
The roles of the Christian Missionaries remain invaluable in the history of Nigerian
education. The only situation of concern was the absence of common curriculum that was
expected to address the peculiarity of Nigeria as an educationally emerging nation. Each
missionaries provided education according to their doctrines and principles. Identified by
Osokoya in Abdulrahman (2014) that in the early schools, there were no common syllabus to
follow and there were lack of standard textbooks. Many of the text books used were imported
and were not relevant to the environment of the pupils. Also, varying administrative techniques
were adopted for schools’ management and the method of teaching was inadequate for rote-
learning was paramount at the period.

Colonial Administration and Education

For the reason of pacifying the natives and forestalling violent agitations, particularly from the
elites; the colonial Government also got involved in the provision of education after about 4
decades of Missionaries exclusive control. The first intervention of the colonial government was
the grant-in-aid of £30 Pounds to the three missionary bodies in 1872 with no condition, to assist
in their educational works and increased to £200 Pounds in 1877 with conditions on a number of
requirements to be met. First, colonial government sat on the fence for 40 years without
educating their subjects and the missionaries were churning out pupils who passed out of
missionaries’ schools and worked in the colonial civil service. This grant indicated that the
colonial administrators had conscience, therefore expressing financial appreciation for the good
work of the missionaries in building quality human resources (Osokoya, 1989; Kosemani &
Okorosaye-Orubite, 2002; Abiri and Jekayinfa, 2012 and Abdulrahman, 2014).
When rivalry started among the missionaries and the quality of education began to drop,
the colonial government also had a moral reason for the introduction of regulatory policies in the
name of Education Ordinance to check the trend. From 1882 till independence, colonial
government never ceased to promulgating series of ordinances in 1887, 1916, 1926 and so on; to
address the development in education. When it was also necessary, they started establishing
schools. The first Government primary school in Nigeria was established for the Muslims in
Lagos in 1899, having a moral justification to do this, following the protest in 1895 over the
conditional acceptance of Muslim children in the mission schools. The need to have
Government secondary school as a model and correction for the missionaries, resulted in the
establishment of King’s College in 1909 and later the thought that women/girls should be
educated, following the report of the Phelps Stokes Commission, the Queen’s College was
established in 1927.
Higher education also began with the establishment of Yaba Higher College in 1932,
following the appointment of E.R.J. Hussey as the first Director of Education in Nigeria.
University education was also granted the country for the first time in 1948, as a University
College of London. In colonial days there was rivalry/competition among the three regions for
development. Universal Primary education was the first aspect of response to the colonial
constitutional provision in 1951 where each region raced one another. Not too long that Nigeria
was hopeful of self rule, to attain political independence. At the eve of this independence, Ashby
Commission was set up. The findings and the recommendations of the Commission spurred the
establishment of more universities in the country.
The colonial government which one would have believed to champion education of
Nigerians from the beginning, providing direction and support, not excluding a sound
curriculum that would meet the need of the country. This was accorded no attention, even her
involvement; not until after 40 years as earlier mentioned. It has to be clearly asserted here that
colonial government only had three priorities in their existence on the soil of Nigeria, devoid of
educational provision; these are politics, military and commerce (Osokoya, 1989 and
Abdulrahman, 2014).
Beginning of Government’s Participation in Educational Administration
On the part of the colonial administration, the genuine intention for their presence was also not to
provide their colonial subjects (Nigerians) education, but only for political, military and
commercial reasons. A care-free attitude to education was displayed by the colonial government.
However, the colonial Government’s partial involvement in educational business of Nigeria was
first witnessed with the grants-in-aid of £30 pounds in 1872 to the three (3) missions (Osokoya,
1985). This grant by the colonial government can be appointed as the beginning of
government’s educational financing in Nigeria. With this grants, educational provision,
administration and management were still not the concern of government, but was eventually
compelled to be responsive through increased criticisms of education the missionaries were
providing to Nigerians. The nationalists, traders and the Government’s observations herself
about the trends, culminated in the promulgation of 1882 Education Ordinance as first regulatory
measure (law) to address education provided by the missionaries. To this extent, the Colonial
Government took the courage in handing down guidelines to the missionaries and other
voluntary agencies on how and what education to be given to their colonial subjects should be.
The 1882 Education Ordinance among others had provisions that included the following
and were applicable to Lagos colony and Accra which were under one colonial Administration
till 1886. Apart from this, colonial government came up with series of education Ordinances and
Codes to regulate education in Nigeria; thus in 1887, 1916, 1926 etc. The most important thing
that happened to Nigeria and her education was the establishment of Phelps Stokes Commission
in 1920, with first deliberate effort to study educational situation of the continent in terms of its
quality and quantity. The mandate of this commission covered the areas of:
i. inquiring into the educational work being undertaking in each of the studied areas;
ii. looking into the educational need of the people in the light of religious, social, hygienic
and economic conditions;
iii. ascertaining the extent to which these needs are being met;
iv. making available in full the results of their study.
In view of these terms of reference, the following summarises the report of the
Commission submitted in 1922, thus:
a. adaptation of education to the individuals and communities
b. condemnation of the situation where education providers had differing conceptions of
education
c. instituting true inspection and supervision of schools.
d. broadening the curriculum (dropping only literacy content)
e. educating the girls etc.
It is clear from this report that adapting education to the needs of the individuals and
African communities was central to the outcome of the Commission’s investigation. Curriculum
is central to adapting education to the needs of the people. It would be expected that the colonial
orientations and outlooks should begin to wane, but not in the real sense of it, because the
colonial superiority still characterized the ways of doing things, particularly in education; where
the curriculum contents were still British. This was evident in the entire episode surrounding the
establishment of the first higher institution in Nigeria in 1932, that is, the Yaba Higher College
subjecting to relegation; the Nigerians and the education provided which were found to be
humiliating, Fafunwa (1974) highlights the areas of the country’s concern, thus:
i. Nationalists found the curriculum of the college too narrow, inferior to and incapable of
meeting the needs of the country,
ii. The certificate of the college had no recognition outside Nigeria and
iii. The certificate only qualified Nigerians as junior staff and assistants in the colonial civil
service.
For the establishment of Nigeria’s premier university, the situation was not entirely
different in the way and manners it was operated. When the university college was established at
Ibadan in 1948, the management and control were still in the hand of the colonial administration,
determining the structure, the personnel, resources, even the contents of the curriculum tailored
towards that of the University of London, for which the colonial established university was for
long time tied to the apron’s string of that British University; thereby named University College
of the University of London, Ibadan.
Manifestations during Self Determination Era
The era of self determination in education remains a unique period in the history of Nigerian
education, following the 1946 Richards Constitution of regional proliferation and the 1951
Macpherson Constitution that favoured some sorts of autonomy; giving the regional government
the audacity and power to pass laws on salient sectors, importantly as concerned education.
Truly, there was self-determination in education at that time, but limited, to some extent
on certain aspects of Nigerian educational theory and practice. The curriculum contents were
still foreign, as the History of Europe, Geography of Europe, and so on, were being studied,
including the authorship of those books credited to Europeans e.g. English Course for secondary
schools by D.W. Grieve, Lacombe’s Mathematics/Arithmetic textbooks, Modern Geography:
foundation of Geography that were even in use some Nigerian schools until 80s. Osokoya
(2012) observed the policy implication that goes beyond the issue of curriculum during self
determination era, when he says:
The decentralization of Nigerian education during the
regionalization era prior to independence, did not improve the
situation. The western and eastern regional governments through
the Universal Primary Education Schemes in 1955 and 1957
respectively increased access of pupils to education but this
succeeded in widening the educational gap between the south and
the north. Education policy that failed to serve the role of
integration of a pluralistic society as ours and eventually sowed
the seed of mistrust, hatred, suspicion and religious intolerance
cannot be regarded as perfect.
Post-Independence Nigerian Educational Development
The 1969 National Curriculum Conference was indeed a turning point for education in Nigeria,
as it was purely initiated and planned by Nigerians. This conference according to Okorosaye-
Orubite (2012) was earlier slated for 1966, but postponed because of the political, social and
security situation at the time. The conference was held in Lagos from 8th – 12th September,
under the aegis of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).
With regards to the participants, it was a conglomeration of stakeholders in education (educators
and consumers of educational products), not excluding vice-chancellors, professors, principals
of teacher training colleges and secondary schools, representative of business/commercial
establishments and industries, farmers, civil servants, professionals, technicians, traders and
parents. Equally, the conference was attended by a number of international organizations who
participated as observers. Some of these organizations financially supported the conference.
These included the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), Canadian International Development Overseas (CREDO). Others included the
representatives of the Ford foundation, the British Council and the United States Agencies for
International Development (USAID).

Features of the Conference

The curriculum conference, among other things:
 evolved a national philosophy of education for Nigerians.
 reviewed the educational objectives for primary, secondary and tertiary levels.
 stipulated the role of science and technology in national development and
 made recommendations on the control of public education.

Most significantly, the 1969 curriculum conference came out with bold recommendations
of a six-year primary school course, followed by six years of secondary school, patterned into a
lower or junior secondary and an upper or senior secondary of 3years each respectively, and
lastly; a four-year university education which had been tagged and structured numerically as 6-
3-3-4. This 6-3-3-4 system, though took almost 2 decades before its implementation started, but
remains a proud education system to Nigeria, even with the Universal Basic Education
programme, 6-3-3-4 remains the structure of country’s education system, as against the
unsubstantiated 9-3-4 which is just the individual conception and neither captured in the national
policy nor backed with the UBE Act.
Also, it is imperative to mention that the conference recommended the idea of multilateral
or comprehensive schools. The conference submitted that comprehensiveness of schools in
Nigeria should not only be in numbers of students, but also in the variety of course-offerings in
academic (arts and science), technical, professional and commercial areas. As earlier
maintained, the 1969 national Curriculum Conference remains an antecedent and influencing
factor to the birth of the National Policy on Education.
The Nigerian National Policy on Education
Based on the report of the 1969 curriculum conference, the Federal and State Ministries of
Education put up a draft for a national policy on education, this prompted General Yakubu
Gowon, the then Head of States to promise a national policy on education for the country in his
speech at Barewa College, Zaria on the 26th of April, 1972.
Fafunwa (1974) in his famous history of education book wrote that in December 1970, the
National Council on Education (NCE), a council of commissioners of education deliberated on
the draft national policy on education with consensus on holding a seminar at the end of their
meeting for proposal and that the proposals for the seminar be referred to the State Governments
for comments and finally that the proposals and the comment be the main item of the agenda of
the next council’s meeting.
The seminar was slated to hold at the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo
University, (OAU) between 26th and 28th February, 1973, but aborted by the students’ protests
against some aspects of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme. In the same year,
precisely between 4th and 8th of June, it was successfully held at the Institute of International
Affairs, Victoria Island in Lagos, under the chairmanship of Chief S.O. Adebo who was one
time Nigerian permanent representative at the United Nations, but at that time of the seminar;
Chief Adebo was the chairman of the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC). Osokoya
(2014) has it that the seminar was well attended by men and women of proven interest and
competence within the growing educational enterprise.
The Nigerian participants at the seminar cut across all the various walks of life, from
representative of Federal and State Ministries of Education; the Nigerian Union of Teachers;
conference of secondary schools and Teacher Training Principals; Primary School
Administrators; the Nigerian Education Research Council; Nigerian Employers Consultative
Association; Nigerian Council for Science and Technology; the Army Educational Department;
Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre; the Christian Council of Nigerian; the catholic
Church; Specialists on Adult and Experts of Special Education; Ministries of Labour and
Agriculture; Nigerian Universities’ Women and the representative of the National Association of
Nigerian Students (NANS). Also in attendance were the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) experts and that of the Commonwealth Secretariat in
London as observers.
The opening address was “Charting Nigeria’s National Aspirations” delivered by the
then Federal Commissioner for Education, Chief A.Y. Eke. Few weeks after, the published
report of the seminar was handed over to the Federal Ministry of Education with a covering
letter dated June 26th, 1973; structured and made up of thirteen main parts. The introductory
chapter summarizes the proceeding of the seminar. The chapter two of the paper reports the
Nigerian national objectives wherein, the five main national objectives of Nigeria as stated in the
Second National Development Plan, and endorsed as the necessary Foundation for the National
Policy on Education, are the building of;
(i) a free and democratic society;
(ii) a just and egalitarian society;
(iii) a united, strong and self-reliant nation;
(iv) a great and dynamic economy;
(v) a land of bright and full opportunity for all citizens.
The chapter three recommends the philosophy and objectives that should guide Nigerian
education. The main body of the document set out in details the consensus agreement of the
seminar on what should be the national policy of each of the principal sectors of Nigerian
educational efforts, enshrined in chapters four to thirteen. These chapters specially focused
attention on dealing with the definition of terms, the major objectives and recommendations of
the seminar; as highlighted in Osokoya (2014), thus:
i. Pre-primary Education
ii. Primary Education
iii. Secondary Education
iv. University (including professional) Education
v. Technical Education
vi. Special Education
vii. Teacher Education
viii. Educational Services
ix. Administration, Planning and Financing of Education.
Following the submission of the report, and all the trailing comments made were later
considered by the National Council on Education for ratification. The end result was the
Government White Paper issued on the report, tagged - the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
National Policy on Education which was almost ready for publication before the interruption of
the 1975 coup which delayed its publication until 1977. This maiden document, as the National
Policy on Education immediately became obsolete; following the emergence of 1979
constitution that paved way for presidential system of government in Nigeria during the second
republic. This situation culminated in the revocation and amendment of some aspects of the
National Policy on Education in 1981. It was therefore revised in 1981 and subsequently printed
and circulated for use.
Basically, the reason for the revision and issuance of the 1981 version of the document
was to maintain congruity and get the National Policy on Education to be in tandem with the
provisions of the 1979 Nigerian Constitution. After this, the National Policy on Education
underwent series of revision in 1998, 2004, but the 2008 was not published. Currently, the sixth
edition surfaced in 2013 and not long, it was re-issued as 2014 edition of the policy document.
The 6th edition was necessitated by the NERDC New Senior Secondary Education Curriculum.
FRN (2004) has 13 sections including the introduction of which government of Nigeria
is taking to be her educational focus of transforming the Nigerian education into a functional and
an improved status. In this connection, government has acknowledged that education is a very
capital intensive undertaking. This manifests at various sections of the National Policy on
Education (NPE), 2004. Section 4, sub-section 22(1) stating inter alia- “Concerning the
proprietorship of secondary schools, Government welcomes the contributions of voluntary
agencies, communities and private individuals in the establishment and management of
secondary schools alongside those provided by the “Federal and State Governments”. It
therefore means that government has realized the expansion and dynamism of secondary
education, requiring more funds, facilities and equipment necessary to maintain standard, of
course which it can not only provide.
On the university or higher education in Nigeria, attempt to pursue the provision of
higher education across the whole country, for an even distribution and a fairer spread of higher
educational facilities as a means of achieving national unity, section 5, FRN (2004) stipulated
that “without prejudice to the state and voluntary agencies establishing their own universities…”
The above is also a manifestation that government alone, even the federal cannot be able to meet
the overall needs of higher or university education without liberalizing the establishment of
higher institutions to achieve an even geographical distribution for National unity.
Generally, section 12, sub-section 106, FRN (2004) states that Government’s ultimate
objective is to make education free at all levels, the financing of education is a joint
responsibility of the federal, state and local governments. This sub-section further states that
“in this connection, government welcomes and encourages the participation of local
communities, individuals and other organizations.” In view of this, it is now clear and evident
that educational provision, administration, funding and management are too enormous and too
far above what the government can venture in this country, with population of about 170million
people, of which about 49% educated, educating and hoping to be educated formally. And out of
this 170million, about 250 ethnic groups are identified in Nigeria which demands that all and
sundry have to be catered for in the name of national unity.
Continued efforts of government to make education in Nigeria meet the needs, yearnings
and aspirations of Nigeria and Nigerians has informed why the curriculum is revised regularly,
even to meet the reality of the Nigerian society and in response to the global best practices in
knowledge characteristics. Currently and in line with the needs and reality on ground, for a
sustainable education, the Curriculum Conference of 1969 is still relevant as a guide for the
contemporary practice. New curricular have evolved for the different levels of education in
Nigeria.
Curriculum and Contemporary Practice of Education
The introduction of the new basic education (UBE) came with a Review of the curriculum which
produced the 9-Year Basic Education Curriculum (BEC). The new 9-year basic education
curriculum was trial tested across the nation’s primary and junior secondary schools between
2008/09 and 2010/11 academic sessions and underwent another rigorous review in 2011/12
session with major modifications approved by the National Council on Education (NCE). These
modifications according to Adeneye & Oludola (2013) were directed at cutting down the
number of subjects pupils will offer in primary and junior secondary schools without necessarily
reducing the contents. The reform and modification were based on the following UBE
programme curriculum classification, which are:
i. Lower Basic Education Curriculum (Primaries 1-3)
ii. Middle Basic Education Curriculum (Primaries 4-6)
iii. Upper Basic Education Curriculum (JSS 1-3)
NOTE:
 The nomenclatures above are just for the curriculum classification and not in any way
the name for the various UBE classes.
 There is NOTHING like Basic 1, Basic 2, Basic 3, Basic 4, Basic 5, 6, 7, to Basic 9.
Primary school is for six years and it is Primaries 1 to 6 and Junior Secondary remains
the classes from JSS 1 to JSS 3.
 The 9 Year Basic Education does not change the system from 6-3-3-4. There is
NOTHING like 9-3-4. This is extremely erroneous.
 A little academic fact check can further throw light on the above, as 40 Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs) on UBE clearly substantiate (Universal Basic Education Commission, 2012).
Core Compulsory Subjects
1. English Studies. 2. One major Nigerian Language (Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba)
3. Mathematics. 4. Basic Science and Technology.
5. Cultural & Creative Arts (CCA). 6. Pre-vocational Studies.
7. Religion and National Values (RNV). 8. French Language.
9. Basic Technology for Upper Basic section. 10. Business Studies for Upper Basic
section andArabic Language as a selective
Subject.
The need for the review of the new 9-year basic education curriculum was reiterated at
the Presidential Summon, the state of education in Nigeria which held in October 2010 in which
delegates at the summit called for immediate action to compress the curricula offerings at all
levels of basic education. The summit recommended that the number of subjects offered at this
level should be reduced to between six and 13, in line with international best practices. This
recommendation coupled with the feedback on the three year trial testing/implementation of
BEC which suggests curriculum overload in terms of subject offerings at the primary and JSS
levels led to the setting up of a review panel which comprised members of the high level policy
committee meeting and the National Stakeholders Forum (NSF) for the review of the curriculum
headed by Professor Godswill Obioma. The panel formulated a new structure for the BEC which
was deemed for national implementation in September, 2013 across all primary and junior
secondary schools. The number of subjects in the Lower Basic Education Curriculum was
reduced from 10 to a minimum of seven and maximum of eight.
In view the above, it has to be mentioned that the BEC has started generating uproar
again, particularly the Religion and National Values (RNV) which its merger has been
vehemently opposed by the religious organisations. This means that it is not over until it is over.
New Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)
From the foregoing, colonial education curriculum was discovered to be alien and not able to
meet the needs of Nigerians, so it was dropped; following the curriculum conference of 1969
which since then has been revised from time to time, to meet the needs of Nigerian nation. This
newly revised is not without the reasons for its introduction - academic policies, including and
importantly the admission requirements should be revised every three years, if not two years on
the line. There are countries and institutions that review their academic policies and curriculum
yearly, so as to be in tune with the global best practices. The National Council on Education
(NCE) in Nigeria meets every year to review the National Policy on Education. So, it is
necessary for academic institutions to review their general and specific minimum academic
requirements for admissions.
Today, the Nigeria nation has a Revised New National Curriculum for Senior Secondary
Education which produced new subjects to meet the needs of the country. My summary:
 i. Five (5) Credit Passes are no longer tenable as the minimum requirement for admission
into tertiary institutions.
ii. Six (6) Credit Passes are now the minimum requirement for admission
iii. There are four (4) cross-cutting compulsory subjects, thus: English Language, General
Mathematics, Civic Education and a Trade/Entrepreneurship subject.
iv. Other specialized fields are provided, from which choices can be made to complete total
WASSCE or SSCE subjects.
Implications
i. With this new/revised curriculum, Biology and one Nigerian Language are no longer
compulsory subjects.
ii. It must be noted as well that at least (minimum) of two (2) subjects must be selected
from relevant field of study to complete the six (minimum admission requirement),
after selecting the compulsory four (4).
iii. Change in the Secondary School Curriculum means a change in the examination
syllabus and the subjects for public examinations; ultimately requiring a review in
the admission requirements of tertiary institutions, but more importantly the
universities.
The NERDC is saddled with the task of reviewing the curricula for primary and
secondary schools in the country. The initiative therefore to introduce the new subjects was in
line with the new secondary school curriculum introduced by the Nigerian Education Research
and Development Council (NERDC).
The implementation of the new SSCE curricula began in September 2011, meaning that
the maiden public examinations (West African Examination Council, WAEC, National
Examination Council, NECO, and the National Board for Technical and Business Education,
NBTE) based on the new/ revised curricula have started in May/ June 2014 as directed by the
NERDC and Federal Ministry of Education through the then Minister of Education, Prof.
Ruqayyatu Rufa’i who launched and officially presented the Senior Secondary School
Curriculum in Abuja, with emphasis on taking effect in schools by September 2011. It was
approved by the National Council on Education (NCE).
The Newly Introduced Subjects and the Explanations:
1. Cross-Cutting Compulsory
i. English Language/Studies
ii. General Mathematics
iii. Civic Education
iv. Trade/Entrepreneurship
2. Field of Studies

a. Science and Mathematics

i. Biology
ii. Chemistry
iii. Physics
iv. Further Mathematics
v. Health Education
vi. Agriculture
 vii. Physical Education
viii. Computer Studies
b. Technology
i. Technical Drawing
ii. General Metal Work
iii. Basic Electricity
iv. Electronics
v. Auto-Mechanics
vi. Building Construction
vii. Woodwork
viii. Home Management
ix. Food and Nutrition
c. Humanities
i. Christian Religious Studies
ii. Islamic Religious Studies
iii. Visual Arts
iv. Music
v. History
vi. Geography
vii. Government
viii. Economics
ix. Literature-in-English
x. French
xi. Arabic
xii. Nigerian Language
d. Business Studies
i. Stores Management
ii. Accounting
iii. Commerce
iv. Office Practice
v. Insurance
e. Trade/Entrepreneurship
i. Auto Body Repair and Spray Painting
ii. Auto Electrical Work
iii. Auto Mechanical Work
iv. Auto Part Merchandizing
v. Air-conditioning and Refrigeration
vi. Welding and Fabrication Engineering Craft Practice
vii. Electrical Installation and Maintenance Work
viii. Radio, TV and Electronic Servicing
ix. Blocklaying, Bricklaying and Concrete Work
x. Painting and Decorating
xi. Plumbing and Pipe Fitting
xii. Machine Woodworking
xiii. Carpentry and Joinery
xiv. Furniture Making
xv. Upholstery
xvi. Catering Craft Practice
 xvii. Garment Making
xviii. Cloth and Textile
xix. Dyeing and Bleaching
xx. Printing Craft Practice
xxi. Cosmetology
xxii. Photography
xxiii. Mining
xxiv. Tourism
xxv. Leather-goods Manufacturing and Repair
xxvi. Stenography
xxvii. Data Processing
xxviii. Store Keeping
xxix. Book Keeping
xxx. GSM Maintenance and Repairs
xxxi. Animal Husbandry
xxxii. Fishery
xxxiii. Marketing
xxxiv. Salesmanship
Explanation
The Criteria for selection of West African Secondary School Certificate Examination
(WASSCE) or Secondary School Certificate Examinations’ subjects are presented below:
a. The Cross-Cutting Compulsory Subjects: This requires that all the four (4) cross-
cutting subjects, as listed above are compulsory for every candidate to offer. Civic
Education and ANY one from among the Trade/Entrepreneurship subjects are now
replacing the previously compulsory subjects Biology and one Nigerian Language.
b. Field of Study: From the field of study, as contained in 2 a, b, c & d above; minimum of
two subjects are required of any candidate to choose from. However, three (3), four (4)
or five (5) subjects may be chosen.
Note: (i) A minimum of eight (8) and maximum of nine (9) subjects are allowed for
examinations’ candidates.
(ii) In the event where two subjects are selected from a specific field of study to
complete the first six (6) as minimum admission requirement, the candidate can
choose to complete the eight (8) and maximum of nine (9) subjects from any other
fields or among the Trade/Entrepreneurship subjects.
(iii) The (ii) above explains the choice of selecting three, four or five subject in addition
to the four cross-cutting compulsory subjects
Remarks
From the words of Prof. Godswill Obioma, Executive Secretary NERDC;–
It is our collective hope that the graduates from SSEC in June
2014 will have been equipped for higher education and at the
same time possessed the relevant technical, vocational and
entrepreneurship skills,”. According to him, the first public
examination, based on the new SSEC will be conducted by the
West African Examination Council (WAEC) and others in June
2014. He explained further, that the new curriculum was planned
 to build on the gains of the 9-year Basic Education Curriculum
and to connect logically to the learning experiences in the tertiary
education.
It is needful to emphasise here that students (candidates) no longer (from 2014) tender
for admissions, the kind of O’ Level results which the tertiary institutions are used to; as that era
has come to be replaced with the commencement of public examinations on the new subjects
which took effect from May/June 2014.
Conclusion
Having gone through a long journey of domesticating education to address the needs, yearnings
and aspirations of the country throughout the colonial era; we are still living in the allegory of
policy indigestion and implementation diarrhoea. Today, it can be concluded that we have
realized ourselves as people that education is the instrument par excellence to effect national
development (FRN, 2014). Since 1990s, we have been in tune with the domestication of series
of international protocols and conventions, not excluding the EFA, 1990; MDGs, 2000 and came
up with the pro-active policies and programmes on education. We saw the need to scale up our
elementary education and merged with the first 3 years of secondary schooling and named it
UBE, with its own curriculum developed to address our educational need at that level. Also, the
new national curriculum for secondary education was introduced in 2014; characterized with 34
trade subject to promote entrepreneurship.
It is therefore good to conclude that policy-wise, we are not doing too well, even now
that the country is not under any external obligations. Although, good and well directed policies
are formulated, but mostly on paper, no pragmatic implementation. The prescription of the new
national curriculum, particularly for core cross-cutting subjects; particularly Civic Education and
any one of entrepreneurship subjects are still not being recognized in a number of our
universities, to be counted as part of the number of credit-passes for admission. The myriads of
trade subjects for entrepreneurship skills in the new curriculum are lacking qualified personnel
to handle them, but those related to existing subjects with available teachers are forced on the
students, e.g. Animal Husbandry is being taught by Agricultural Science teacher; Data
Processing; taught by Computer Science teacher. A large number of self-reliant skills after
school, as contained in the 34 trade/entrepreneurship are accorded the deserved attention.
Recommendations
From the foregoing therefore, the followings are considered important as recommendations for
the study, thus:
i. Continuous policy formulation is highly encouraged, as it gives room for reassessment
and review, but implementation of policies is praise-worthy.
ii. For the country to be at par, competing favourably with other successful nations, the
Nigerian government must fund education at all levels.
iii. Importantly, staff development programme must be taken so seriously for teachers’ re-
training and acquisition of contemporary skills.
iv. Education tourism is today key in the development of nation. This is why countries
mounting academic programme in International and Comparative Education, for which
people study other people’s educational system, visit different countries for on-the-spot
 assessment and use the insights from such other nations with the best ideas in their
theory and practice of education.
v. Today, Finland is a model for the world in the practice of education. If we get it right,
Nigeria can equally be a model, if not for the world, but in the sub-region or continent of
Africa.

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