Zubair Halima
U14mm1082 Education is the bedrock of development worldwide. The quality of education naturally determines the quality of development. Education appears to be a mystical wand that wields answers to many of the challenges in the world today.
The curriculum is the grand plan of national education. By extension, the curriculum is the blueprint of national development. Just as the strength and durability of every building is primarily determined by the building plan, the quality and robustness of the curriculum determine the quality of personal, institutional and national development.
There are three dimensions to the effectiveness of every curriculum: Development; Implementation and Monitoring/Evaluation. Over the years, great efforts have been put into reviewing and developing education curriculum for the nation at various levels of education. The education system has been changed several times, all in search for a more effective education system that could deliver sustainable indigenous productivity and national development. It is for this purpose a professional body like the National Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) was established. It is important to mention here that the NERDC has been doing a wonderful job. However, on curriculum development, I have the following observations:
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The current curricula at the Junior and Senior Secondary School levels are generally overloaded. There are strong indications that the cognitive readiness of students at these levels of education was not properly factored into the equation. There are too many subjects in the senior secondary curriculum. Some of the new subjects are not ideal at the senior secondary school level. For instance, what is the place of the following ‘subjects’ in a Senior Secondary School curriculum? – Upholstery, Sculpture, Picture-making, Basketry, Leather goods, Photography, Furniture making, Auto part merchandizing, (etc). Apparently the argument for their inclusion may be geared towards preparing the students for the world of works, should they find it difficult to secure admission to tertiary institution. The proponents tend to forget the distractive power of these highly practical vocational subjects. There is also need to review the content of each subject for relevance to current life issues and challenges. We are likely to record more qualitative achievements by pruning the number of subjects and content at the secondary school level.
There is need to review the curriculum at the tertiary levels. It should be more relevant to industry and societal needs. The tertiary curriculum should be more relevant to industry and societal needs. The curriculum should be aligned or synchronised with the primary and secondary schools’ curricula.
Apparently, it is the National Policy on Education that is guiding the development of the curriculum. The goals of education as stated in this all-important document clearly need review. For instance, the goal of building an egalitarian society is rather too egalitarian. Following the SMART goal rule, this goal is hardly specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, nor does it have a time frame for achievement. There are more cogent needs than this. When our national education goals are rightly crafted, they should naturally distill into the curriculum, syllabi, scheme of work [course compact or outline in universities], lesson notes, classroom teaching and national culture and so provoke wellbeing, productivity and development.
In many African countries, including Nigeria, a large chunk of the curriculum is well developed. Every product or service in the world has essential minimal requirements, factors and conditions that will guarantee its successful production. These are the absolute conditions for producing such items. Failure to meet such conditions will prevent or abort such production effort.
This law equally applies in the production of goods and services. The first essential step, therefore, for the successful production of our desired goods and services is to carefully identify all the essential resources, materials, skill, tools or gadgets needed for its successful production and work to put all these things in place, and in a sustainable manner, before commissioning the production of such goods and services. The condition should include provision of commensurate motivation for the production crew; effective iron and steel industries that can mould and fabricate structures of any shape or size; running refineries and related industries that can produce and mould various synthetic polymerized plastic products; uninterrupted electric power supply; adequate water supply; consistent country-wide security, peace; accountability, transparency at all levels (etc). God applied this law when He created the world. Plants and animals were not created until all absolute conditions for their production and sustenance were in place.
The first logical step in the drive for productivity and national development, therefore, should be organising focused group discussion integrated with brainstorming/critical thinking to delineate all the absolute conditions required to make the production seamlessly successful. No stone should be left unturned at this stage. The tiniest factor left unattended could lead to failure or non-realisation of set goals.
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