The Nigerian government has commenced training of 37,000 teachers of History as part of a process to reintroduce the subject into basic education curriculum in the country.
History as a subject was removed from Nigeria’s education curriculum in the 2009/2010 academic session. But the development was met with criticisms that have continued until 2018 when the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, ordered its reintroduction into basic and junior secondary education curriculum.
Mr Adamu stated that the National Council on Education had approved the reintroduction of history as a stand alone subject at the 61st ministerial session in September, 2016.
The minister, therefore, tasked the Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) with the separation of history from the social studies curriculum into a stand alone subject.
Four years after the directive, the Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Opiah, on Thursday, flagged off the re-introduction and commencement of the training of History teachers in Abuja.
He said the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has been tasked with conducting refresher training for the 37,000 teachers –100 drawn from each state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
Mr Opiah, who represented Mr Adamu at the flag-off ceremony, noted that the decision to reintroduce the subject is part of attempts to revamp the education sector.
According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Kelechi Mejuobi, Mr Opiah said the training of the teachers was to enhance their mastery of the subject, and provide them with the requisite skills, technique and methodology needed to teach the subject.
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He stated that the return of History at the basic education level would help the next generation discover the historical developments of their fatherland, conscientise them on how to avoid repetition of past mistakes and failures.
He also harped on the need to exploit the lost original African tradition of storytelling to teach values, morals, folklore.
He said: “History underlies the approach and methods deployed in addressing our current day challenges, especially with insecurity. We would naturally use historical narratives with the application of experience resulting from causes of events to solutions by using homegrown solutions.
“This is ordinarily centred on our ethnic heritage, cultural host, and multicultural influences within our peculiar communities which derive from our common origins.
“Such an entrenched teaching and learning provide the opportunity for appreciating antecedents that extol the great deeds of our past heroes, their sacrifices and contributions to creating the foundation for an indivisible nation. It is in doing this that we remember and celebrate monumental achievements, memorable dates, events, names, and every event of historical significance.”
Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on 1-covered issues around the globe
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