Stakeholders in the
education sector have condemned the removal of History as a subject from
primary and secondary school curriculum.
 |
| President Buhari |
The stakeholders, who
spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) nationwide,
said the act was wrong.
NAN recalls that the
Federal Government in 2007 launched a new curriculum known as the New Basic
Education Curriculum for primary and junior secondary schools.
The existing curriculum
seeks to correct the abnormalities of the former one, which was believed to be
lacking in the areas of human capacity development; eradication of poverty; and
the country’s quest for total emancipation as an independent entity.
Under the new system, the
structure is divided into three levels of lower, middle and upper basic
education curriculum.
The lower level is for
primary one to three, the middle level is for primary four to six, while the
upper level is for J.S.S one to three.
In each of the three
levels, there are about 12 compulsory core subjects with one elective subject.
English studies,
Mathematics, Social Studies, Health and Physical Education, Religious Studies
as well as French are among the compulsory subjects.
The new curriculum was
effective from the 2009/2010 academic session. The continual relegation of the
teaching of History to the background has attracted condemnation from
stakeholders.
Mr Paul Elaigwu, a
History teacher with one of the government secondary schools, says the removal
of History from the curriculums is an error as the subject is about studying
events of the past, which ``helps to build our today and prepare us for
tomorrow``.
According to him, History
as a subject, teaches one the lessons of life, just as it makes one learn from
past mistakes and gives a person the opportunity to improve.
He says it is a mistake
to replace History with Social Studies and Government.
``Social Studies and
Government are not in-depth and cannot replace History as they teach things of
the present.
``If you do not know the
history of your family, you won’t know what happened and how to guard against
the repeat of past mistakes.
``It is not proper to
replace History with Social Studies and Government because without History, the
country cannot be developed further by the younger generation.’’
In the same vein, David
Ella, a Senior Secondary School Student, says: ``Without History, we will not
know our past.’’
Ella defined History as
the study of past events and a process of evolution into the present.
``The elimination of
History as a core subject from the new curriculum is a wrong idea because the
subject enables students to know what happened before they were born and where
they are presently.
``It helps them to make
reference to the past in assessing the present situation.’’
According to him, without
history Nigerians will not know their past leaders and the impact they have
made on the development of the country.
He cited Nnamdi Azikiwe,
Obafemi Awolowo, and Tafawa Balewa, among others, who left behind good
legacies, which formed part of Nigeria’s history.
According to him, their
stories serve as motivation to the present generation.
``I believe History is
very essential to the youths and upcoming generation.
``History is
irreplaceable. Social Studies and Government are only branches or topics under
history.’’
On her part, Mrs Chioma
Osuji, the Policy Advisor, Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All
(CSACEFA), advised the Federal Government and all relevant stakeholders to
re-introduce the subject.
She said the importance
of History to nation-building cannot be over-emphasised because without
history, there will be no future and citizens will be in the dark.
NAN recalls that the
Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), during the recent celebration of the 2015
World Teachers Day, also called for the reinstatement of the subject in the
curriculum.
The NUT urged the Federal
Government to review the curriculum as another core subject like Biology has
also been removed.
In the same vein, Prof.
Godswill Obioma, the former Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Educational
Research and Development Council (NERDC), also called for a review of the
education curriculum to accommodate more of Nigerian History.
Obioma said that the
content of History thought in Nigerian schools at the moment was deficient.
He said that History had
not been removed from Nigerian school curriculum but was made optional while
Social Studies captured History at primary and junior secondary school levels.
According to him, the
curriculum should be reviewed to capture the aspects of History that matter to
Nigerians at the primary, junior and senior secondary school levels.
``In the senior secondary
school, History is still there; but is optional. Students choose whether to do
History or not; where people do not really understand the situation is at the
junior secondary level.
``When the curriculum was
reviewed and changed to 6-3-3-4, there were integrations—Physics, Chemistry,
and Biology were called Integrated Science.
``At the primary and junior
secondary school levels, Social Studies which comprises, Geography,
Civics/Government, History - generally man and his environment.
``But in teaching, Social
Studies and History, there is need to bring historical elements that are
relevant to Nigeria.’’
According to Obioma, many
students do not know anything about the Nigerian Civil War - what caused it and
how it ended.
He said that capturing
events such as the Civil War could promote national integration, as it will
make students to know what caused the Civil War, how it ended, and learn some
lessons from it.
According to him, the
learning of History should not be limited to stories about Mungo Park’s
escapades on the River Niger, or about Seven Rivers of Africa and other things
that are of no value to the nation.
``What about Nigerian
History — Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo to the modern times.
``History prepares a
people to know their past: where they are and where they want to be,`` Obioma
said.
He said that if Social
Studies and History were taught properly at the primary and junior secondary
school levels, students would be informed about their country.
Chief Charles Nwodo, the
former Chairman of the defunct Progressive Action Congress (PAC), also spoke in
favour of the re-introduction of History in the nation’s education curriculum
``It is unfortunate that
a nation has removed the subject that teaches the students about their
background, where they are coming from and where they are going.
``So, we want the
appropriate authorities to reintroduce such a sensitive subject in the nation’s
educational curriculum.’’
He says History has the
capacity to educate the people on the nature of their emergence and the
relationship between one community and another in the past.
``It will help us to know
about the types of people we had in the past, the life they lived, how they
ruled us and their struggle in the promotion of the unity of this country.
``So, if you remove such
an important and all encompassing subject, it blind folds people from knowing
anything about their country.``
Nwodo said that history
should not only be reintroduced but made a core subject in the nation’s
educational curriculum, especially for those in the arts class and perhaps
social sciences.
He further advised that
the subject should also be made compulsory in the primary schools across the
country.
Asked if Social Studies
could replace the study of History, Nwodo said that Social Studies were just
about current issues, and not mostly about the history of events that took
place.
``Social studies are more
of current affairs which lacked enough ingredients to be compared to history.
``History is all
encompassing, history is not all about Nigeria alone but it involves the
history of other countries as well.``
Dr Muritala Olalekan, a
lecturer in the Department of History, University of Ibadan, is of the view
that history should remain a core subject in the school curriculum because of
its importance to national development.
He says there cannot be
development without history.
``You cannot do without
referring to past events at every stage of a given country’s development.
That’s why most of the developed nations cannot not do without their history.
``History dwells on the
economic, political, and social aspects of a nation’s development,’’ he said.
A parent, Mrs Titilayo
Taiwo, is of the opinion that History is vital and critical subject as it helps
people to deal with the present situation and encourages them to contribute
meaningfully to the future of the country.
Taiwo also says History
as a subject helps to explain issues and increase the level of understanding
and intelligence among students.
``Historians are good
administrators because history helps them to develop morality,``she said.
A teacher at Basorun
Ogunmola High School, Mr Wale Ogunsola, believes that though History has been
removed from the school curriculum, some schools still offer it at the senior
secondary school level.
A student at Oluyole High
School, Damilola Adesanya, opines that History has always been a tough subject
for her.
``History is hard because
of the long stories and many dates involved; it's confusing sometimes,'' she
said.
She says she will always
choose Social Studies or Civic Education over History because they are easier
to follow.
Kayode Durojaye, who is
seeking admission into a tertiary institution, describes History as a boring
subject.
``The reason I dropped
History in my SSCE is because I was scared I might not pass it because of the
many dates in it and you know dates are vital,’’ he said.
In Akure, stakeholders
also advocated that History should be made a core subject in the nation’s
school curriculum.
Chief Bola Omoloja,
Chairman, Parents and Teachers’ Association, Ondo Chapter, says History should
be a core subject just as English and Mathematics are.
According to him, History
is important because it is a record of the past, which represents a window into
the future.
``It's my belief that
History, which relates to what happened in the past, is important to the
children of today because the events happened before they were born.
``It is like having a
mirror to reveal past events, which could be examined and studied.``
Mr Akin Asaniyan, the
Secretary, Ondo State Quality Assurance Education Agency, however, believed
that the strictness of History teachers led to its eventual removal from the
curriculum.
``At a time, History as a
subject was held in very high esteem to the extent that students were made to
believe that the subject was an exclusive preserve of only the very brilliant.
``This actually accounts
for its status today. The dates embedded in History, which a student is
expected to cram has made the subject a difficult one to do. So, many students
have decided to run away from it.
``As a course of study,
History was seen as even more glamorous than Law and I am not surprised by its
current status.``
He, however, says the
subject has ingredients that are capable of promoting national development.
Another teacher at
Omoluorogbo Grammar School, Akure, Mr Deji Gbeje, has decried the removal of
History from the school curriculum, saying there is no way Social Studies,
Government and Literature can replace History in secondary schools.
``This is sad because I
see the study of History as very important in creating knowledgeable citizens.
``Today, very few
universities still have a dedicated Department of History, having merged
History with International Studies or Diplomatic Studies.”
He, therefore, advised
the Federal Government to reinstate the subject in the school curriculum and
make it more attractive to young undergraduates.
Meanwhile in Borno,
Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Yobe and Jigawa states, a cross-section of parents,
teachers, and students, has called for the introduction of History as a core
subject in primary and junior secondary schools in the country.
They said, in separate
interviews with NAN, that History should not only be introduced, but also be made
compulsory.
They said the leaders of
tomorrow and generations yet unborn, must know the past to enable them manage
the present and plan for the future.
Alhaji Bulama Abiso,
Borno Chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers, said that History subject was very
important as it would enable students know the past and present of their
country’s existence.
``If the country is
serious about genuine development at all levels, our schools seriously need to
re-introduce the Nigerian History into the curriculums.
``If we must discover
sustainable ideas and solutions to national issues, we must engage more with
the past and imbibe that knowledge of our norms and values in schools.
``History is consciously
used to inspire nation-building in many developed nations, and this places a
huge gap between the advanced nations and under-developed ones.
``It is difficult to
understand how as a nation, we think we can come close to sustainable change
without the knowledge of its History, forgetting that time past is part of time
present, and time present is part of time future.
``Studying Nigerian
history in schools as a compulsory and fundamental academic requirement and
discipline is very vital for the country’s development at this crucial point.’’
Dr Babagana Kachalla, a
research expert in the Centre for Trans-Saharan Studies at the University of
Maiduguri, said to build a sustainable society, ‘’we must promote our cultures,
values and History in schools, for the forthcoming generation to inherit.
``The history reminds us
of our ways of life, norms and values, but had almost given away because the
subject is not given priority attention in schools,” he noted.
The Jigawa Commissioner
for Women Affairs, Hajiya Rabi Ishaq, concurred, saying that the teaching of
History in primary and junior secondary schools in the country would impact
positively on national development.
The commissioner
explained that the subject would make pupils and students know and appreciate
what happened in the past, develop the present and plan for the future.
In Yobe, most parents and
students in post primary schools, however, said they would prefer History
subject being embedded into Social Studies as against standing as a core
subject of study in schools.
In Bauchi, a
cross-section of those who spoke with NAN, observed that some of the social and
economic problems the country was facing today, could be traced to shallow
knowledge of the past, hence the need to make History subject compulsory in
schools.
A graduate of history and
postgraduate student of the subject, Malam Dahiru Garba, said that the subject
was very important in shaping the development of a people.
He said people had to
remember the past to make amends for mistakes, with a view to ensuring future
development.
According to him, History
is a vast discipline that can be found in virtually all other academic
disciplines, and therefore important and relevant for national development.
Garba further said that
because of the relevance of the subject, the Historical Society of Nigeria had,
during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, sought for its
teaching right from primary school.
He said that the former
president had approved the request but it was not implemented until he left office.
Also speaking on the
matter, a civil servant, Hajiya Safiya Salihu, said History had something to a
country’s development and therefore should be taught right from primary school.
She said in her school
days, she was not taught History but Social Studies, adding that the subjects
were two different things.
However, Malam Dauda
Sani, Chief Information Officer, Bauchi State Ministry of Education, said that
although History was an important subject, it should not be taught in primary
or junior secondary schools.
He said Social Studies,
as a subject, was a rudimentary form of History and was meant to prepare pupils
and students to study history in senior secondary schools and other tertiary
institutions of learning.
In Gombe, the
Parents/Teacher Association in the state expressed support for the
re-introduction of the teaching of History in primary and junior secondary
schools in the country.
Its Chairman, Alhaji
Mohammed Usman, said that teaching the subject was key to ensuring national
development by way of instilling patriotism in youth.
Dr Isaac Edigba of the
History Department, Gombe State University (GSU), defined History as the study
of various events that took place in the past in the realm of human world.
He said the importance of
History to the national development could not be overemphasized, citing an
example with the United States, where History was compulsory to all children
Meanwhile, teachers in
Adamawa have lauded the state government for introducing the teaching of
History as a core subject in primary and secondary school curriculum.
They insisted that
History should be made compulsory for all students in view of its relevance to
nation-building.
However, some
educationists in Edo and Bayelsa states have expressed different opinions on
plans for re-introduction of History in the Nigeria school curriculum.
According to them,
re-introduction of History as a subject in the Nigerian school’s system
portends what they called the good and the bad for the educational system.
Some of them agreed that
the teaching of History was still relevant due to its capacity to impact on
national development.
Mr Henson Oduware, a
school proprietor in Benin, however, argued that although the teaching of
History was relevant, its planned reintroduction would no doubt affect the
Nigeria school curriculum with the frequent changes that it has experienced.
Oduware attributed the
poor showing of Nigerian students in national examinations to the frequent
changes in school curriculum.
He said that the call for
the re-introduction History as a subject should be made in ways that would not
make its studies compulsory to students.
Oduware said that pupils
at the primary school level should be exempted from the subject.
He said the exemption
should be for the simple reason that other subjects such as Social Studies and
Civic Education have effectively taken care of that.
``Nigeria educational
policy has not been consistent over the years and this has been responsible for
the poor performance of students in major examinations.
``There is no consistency
in the implementation of the curriculum. It is always one changes or the other.
Today you make one subject compulsory only to get it reversed later.
``In time past, in the
Senior Secondary School, Mathematics , English, Biology and Economic and even
Agricultural science used to be core subjects but now you have mathematic,
English, Civic education and one entrepreneurial subject.
``With these continuous
changes, you found out that at the end of the day, the children are not in a
way conversant with the subjects they offer these days.
``These are the subjects
that are supposed to be offered down from Senior Secondary School One (SSS1) to
SSS3.
``How do you make a
particular subject compulsory to students in SSS when they never offered the
same subject right from Junior Secondary School One (JSS1)?”
Similarly, Michael
Ekhesomi, Education Secretary, Etsako West LocaL Government Area of Edo, said
teaching of History should be reintroduced and made compulsory for students
because of its relevance.
According to him, Social
Studies as a subject cannot replace the teaching of History in Nigeria school
curriculum.
``If we know and
understand the work of our past heroes, it helps to mould our character and
also propelled us to emulate them.
``Yes, it should be a
core subject for our young ones and no, social studies can never serve as a
replacement for the teaching of history.’’
In Bayelsa, stakeholders
have stressed the need to standardise the curriculum of Primary and Secondary
schools as a bed-rock to nation building.
According to them, the
subject will not only educate the students on past events but enlighten them on
men and inventors that they could emulate in the course of their transition.
Mrs Margret Timipa,
Headmaster, Township Primary Schools, Ovom, Yenagoa Local Government Area of
Bayelsa, said that History was good in building children’s level of
intelligence.
``Yes, History is a good
subject, it will help the pupil to know about states, countries and prominent
persons around the world.
``By learning this,
students may like to choose a particular lifestyle of any of these inventors;
just like when you talk about Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo and the host of
them.
``In fact, we must go
back to the drawing board in ensuring that we achieve high standards in these
levels of education.”
An administrator at St
Jude’s Junior Girls Secondary, Yenagoa Local Government Area, who prefers anonymity,
expresses support to the call for the re-introduction of the subject.
``The subject will go a
long in keeping tracks of our national Heroes in the mind of our children; it
will also make the students to know cities in the country and world at large,”
the administrator said.
In Kano and Kaduna
states, some teachers and parents have backed the call for the re-introduction
of the teaching of History in primary and secondary schools in the country,
saying that it will promote patriotism and critical thinking among students.
In separate interviews
with NAN, they advised the government to also make History a core subject, to
equip students with knowledge of the past, to enable them to have a broader
understanding of Nigeria.
Dr Gaius Jatau, Head of
History Department, Kaduna State University, said that the knowledge of history
remained an essential instrument in nation building.
According to him, history
promotes national consciousness, patriotism and the flowering of moral
leadership which ensures overall national development.
He described the
replacement of the teaching of History with Social Studies at the primary
school and Government at the secondary school levels as ``a pathetic
decision.''
``This explains why the
country remains a crawling giant with ethno-religious chauvinism as the major
driving force of Nigeria's polity.
``The lack of historical
consciousness is a major reason why so much violence, aggression, hatred,
poverty dominates day to day existence of Nigerians, because we tend to act or
react based on the present situation and care little about the past.
``It is therefore not
surprising that only few care about the kind of society we came from, which
society we belong and the kind of society we hope to build in the future.''
Jatau described history
as not merely the study of the past, but an essential knowledge which gave
in-depth understanding of present happenings for a better focus of the future.
``If that is the case,
then history has to be taught from the basic up to secondary school, to equip
Nigerian children with the knowledge of their history, to enable them make
better choices and decisions.
``During our time, we
have the privilege of studying history from the primary school up to senior
secondary school level.
``At the primary school level,
we were taught the history of Mungo Park, Clapperton and the rest of them and
in the senior secondary school we were taught the history of the rise and fall
of old empires.
``This knowledge had
helped in shaping our attitude toward our dear country Nigeria and built our
intellectual mind, thereby, giving us a better understanding of our society.''
Also, Mr Abdulallaziz Isa
of Kaduna State Ministry for Education, said the re-introduction of History as
a core subject in the syllabus of primary and secondary schools would promote
patriotism, develop critical thinking and allow students to make informed
choices.
“When you study history,
you will see things differently; you will understand why and how societies
developed or stagnate, how leaders and people fail and how to take positive
step for a meaningful future,'' Isa said.
Alhaji Abdulkadir
Abdulkadir, the Principal of Addy Basic School, Rimin Gata in Kano State, also
said that the study of History should be made compulsory.
``It will enable students
to study past developments so as to proffer solution to present and future
problems,'' he said.
He said that teaching the
subject would equip students with the knowledge of past political
developments of the country, so that when they grow up, they would ``avoid
mistakes of their past leaders.
``The relevance of
teaching History cannot be over emphasised as it inculcates in the students the
spirit of nationalism and patriotism, widens their scope and inculcates in them
national consciousness and unity of purpose.
``History as a subject
enables students to appreciate the labour of the past heroes and understand the
level of development in their country.
``So History should be a
core subject, not optional, because of its importance to nation building.
``Social Studies cannot
replace history because social studies deals with the environmental attributes
of man, while history as a subject can give better perspective of the past for
the understanding of the present and forecast on the future.’’
Also commenting on the
issue, a parent, Alhaji Bashir Mohammed, described history as the foundation of
every known civilisation all over the world.
``Without history, one
will not be in a position to know the present, the past and the future; it
broadens students’ scope of understanding and knowing things accordingly.
``One cannot be able
adjust or readjust in what he or she does without taking into consideration the
lessons of history.’’
He also supported making
History a core subject in primary and secondary schools ``and every student
must be made to offer it in view of the benefits.
``The scope of social
studies is limited compared to the frontiers of the knowledge of history,’’
Mohammed added.
In Lagos, a former
Minister of Education, Prof. Chinwe Obaji, said the re-introduction of history
as a subject in secondary schools would enhance the building of a better
country.
Obaji said that the
teaching of the subject was crucial in the current curriculum of secondary
schools across the country.
According to her,
history, as a subject, will assist in shaping the thoughts of today's
generation, concerning the country and its heroes’ past and present.
She said that a lot of
children and some other Nigerians today had little or no knowledge concerning
the country's past, noting that such scenario was saddening.
``I want to say that any
country without history can never think of the future, because in every sense,
it determines where we go.
``We must be in firm
grasp of our history, if we must determine where we are going to collectively,
as a people and as individuals.
``So many people in our
country today know next to nothing about those who fought for the independence
of this country called Nigeria.
``A lot of people do not
know some of our heroes past like Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Tafawa
Balewa and Obafemi Awolowo, among others.``
Dr Oluwatoki Jamiu, Head
of Department, History and International Studies, Lagos State University
(LASU), said that history was man's struggle to understand his environment.
According to him, history
is the sum total of action, reactions and sometimes, the inaction of man's
consequences.
He said that history was
not just relevant but germane to national development, because the problem
presently facing the society was because history had been neglected.
Jamiu said that when a
man or nation did not recognise and learn from the past, which is history,
there was no way such person or nation could improve on its present condition.
The lecturer said it was
important to teach history at every level of education, so that the younger
generation could know their source, and tow the part for a brighter future.
``History should be
taught at the basic and secondary levels, even to science students, because
science started from the Art.
``When a man recognises
the origin of civilisation, he will be determined to improve upon it.’’
Similarly, stakeholders
in the South East have called on the relevant authorities to return history to
the curriculum of primary and secondary schools as a matter of urgency.
They said that a nation
that did not know its history could not plan for its future.
They also said that the
country would overcome its socio-political challenges with a good knowledge of
its past.
In particular, Mrs Louisa
Ugwu , the Principal of Obe Community Secondary School in Enugu State, said
that the study of history in schools would enthrone political stability and
cohesion.
The historian said that
the major challenge the country faced was as a result of a poor knowledge of
its past and the antecedents of the peoples that make up the country.
She said there was no
substitute to the study of history at primary and post-primary levels, adding
that citizens needed to appreciate the sacrifices made at various levels of
nation building.
“Lack of the knowledge of
history has thrown the country into chaos. History is our past and makes us to
know where we are coming from and where we are going,
“Unfortunately, our
students these days know more of foreign cultures than appreciating their true
heritage.”
In the same vein, Mr
Chumaife Nze, the Head Teacher at Ezeagu North Local Government Education
Authority in Enugu State, said that the study of history was at the centre of
national unity.
Nze said that the subject
was necessary to widen the scope of student’s knowledge in appreciating who
they were.
“History is not only the
study of the past but also a total analysis of the present which will shape the
future.
“Looking at the current
economic and socio-political realities in our country, students should be
encouraged to dig into the past to understand our various levels of national
development.
“We are where we are
today due to the ultimate prizes that were paid by some patriots on our way to
nationhood.”
He, therefore, appealed
to the government to make History a core subject in primary and secondary
schools for a better appreciation of the unity of the country.
In Owerri, a legal
practitioner, Mr Chigozie Enwere, also called on relevant authorities to make
history a core subject for pupils and students at primary and secondary levels
of education.
Enwere described History
as the fulcrum upon which all other educational studies revolve.
He noted that if the
children were made to get such solid education footing, it would enable them to
discover and avoid land mines as well as take positive steps in life.
He objected to the
concept of using Social Studies as an option to History, noting that the latter
does not offer in-depth knowledge as History.
``Social Studies is a
mere periphery of History and offering it as an alternative would amount to
limiting the knowledge of the children on things they ought to know,’’ he said.
Expressing similar
sentiments, Mrs Theresa Okoro, a head teacher in the state, insists that
History gives much confidence in the children.
She said that a child
would confidently tackle educational assignments if his or her foundation was
strong.
``Most of the things we
study in History and Social Studies are things that happened around us.
``When you talk about
Nigeria’s independence, every child would naturally like to know how and who
did what for us to gain political freedom.’’
Also contributing, the
Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Imo, Mr Napoleon Aniche,
said that both History and Social Studies were all encompassing.
He noted though that
history was more comprehensive, either of the two could still provide the
basics for children at early educational levels.
In Anambra, Prof.
Mershack Nweke of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, said that the
re-introduction of History in the school curriculum would be good for the unity
of the country.
Nweke said he benefitted
from the knowledge of History as a student as it helped him understand the
diversity of Nigeria and Africa in general.
The don described the
removal of History from the school curriculum as ‘’a policy in error’’. (NAN)
