Federal Government Introduces History Into School Curriculum

The Federal Government has ordered the reintroduction of History as an independent subject into the basic and junior secondary schools in the country.

The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, who gave the directive, at the launch of History curriculum and teacher’s guide in Abuja, said such would allow students know the history of the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that history was buried under Social Studies’ curriculum, which had generated controversies among education stakeholders in the country.

Adamu said that the importance of History to nation building, national identity, patriotism and overall human development could not be overemphasised.

According to him, one of the cardinal principles of the present administration is social and behavioural change, and History is key to its realisation.

“The desire to realise this and national clamour for it to be back informed our decision to reintroduce the teaching of History in Nigeria’s primary and junior secondary schools.

“The Federal Ministry of Education developed its strategic plan – Education for Change: A ministerial strategic plan (2016-2019) which contained several initiatives.

“This initiative was approved by the National Council on Education during its 61st ministerial session in September 2016.’

The minister added that following this development, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) was directed to carry out the disarticulation of history from social studies curriculum.

He said the new History curriculum was designed to expose students to a body of knowledge that would enable them appreciate history as an instrument of national integration and nation building in the 21st century and beyond.

He, was however, optimistic that the curriculum would equip the younger generations of Nigerians with the knowledge of the past and how the past relate to the present.