New skill-based curriculum for basic schools begins January 2025 – FG…pupils to acquire two skills for productivity
The new skill-oriented curriculum for basic schools will take effect nationwide, as from January 2025, the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, has said.
Recall that the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tanko Sununu, had on October 9, hinted that a new curriculum was underway.
While speaking at a meeting with stakeholders in Abuja on Monday, Mamman declared that under the new curriculum, pupils in basic schools would be required to acquire at least two skills.
He added that private primary schools were required to adopt the new curriculum.
He assured that an updated curriculum for secondary schools would be ready by September 2025.
“And the whole idea, as I said there, is that it is our position that by the time children finish school, they should have at least two skills. Students should be able to finish school with at least a minimum of two skills so that they can have a very productive life. The basis for the curriculum is the National Skills Framework, and it has been approved,” he minister said.
“It’s a very big project. It affects all schools in Nigeria, public and private. Whether in the public sector or private sector, all schools are going to implement it. So this is already determined. It doesn’t require anybody’s consent or any institution can depart from it,” Mamman added.
“And then we want to use this school year to set off on this, while simultaneously the relevant agencies with the Ministry of Education work on the senior secondary school curriculum along the same line so that from September to October next year, the senior secondary school can be ready, as we are ready with this one, for implementation.
“Our projection is that, we should be able to conclude on this until December so that in January, schools across the country can now commence implementation.
“We do not expect comprehensive, full implementation from January because when you roll out something new, there’s a lot of preparation that has to take place by the schools, acquiring new things, equipment, you know, small, small things that they will need.”
Mamman also disclosed that plans were ongoing to ensure that teachers are well equipped for the new curriculum.
He also said the ministry would meet with stakeholders in the private schools on the successful implementation of the new curriculum.
He said: “There is a need for the preparation of the classrooms and teachers’ development. We are also working on teachers’ support and development for them to be able to implement this. So we want to use the next three months for all these three stages.
“We’ll also do a national stakeholders engagement on publicity, particularly with the private schools. So that’s part of what we will be doing, and then teachers’ capacity, which is going to be ready to meet.”
While explaining one of the benefits of the curriculum, the minister said it would rekindle the desire of parents and students to acquire formal education.
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