Education
A former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Peter Okebukola, has urged Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) to undertake a comprehensive review of the curriculum of basic education at all levels.
Okebukola gave the advice as the keynote speaker at the 7th International Conference of the Faculty of Education, Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo in Lagos on Tuesday.
The theme of the conference was: “Empowering Education: Building the Future”.
He said that a review of the curriculum of basic education would make it better fit for the purpose of the future we craved in Nigeria.
“The National Commission for Colleges and National Board for Technical Education should be part of the curriculum re-engineering agenda of which National Universities Commission should lead.
“The success story of NUC in the development of the 2022 Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) is worth narrating and celebrated because it strengthens education for the future.
“The major highlights of the 2022 CCMAS includes: comparable in content to similar curricula in the best university systems in the world; addresses the knowledge and skills gaps in the curriculum.
“Seventy per cent of core curriculum as minimum for all Nigerian universities and 30 per cent of courses to reflect their uniqueness of mission and contextual peculiarities, ” Okebukola said.
He said that strengthening education would mean providing the enabling environment that would improve access, relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and equity of the education system
“Urgently needed now is good quality leadership at all levels of governance to build good future.
“Leadership that is people-oriented; God-fearing and shunning corruption; because without such leadership, the future we are forecasting may be dim but God forbids,” Okebukola said.
He urged the Vice-Chancellor of LASU to empower the Faculty of Education because all human resources in Nigeria would be taught directly or indirectly by teachers from the faculty.
“The Faculty of Education produces teachers who offer service at the secondary and tertiary levels. In turn, these teachers teach the future leaders in the society,” Okebukola said.
In her opening speech, a former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Idiat Adebule, said that the development of a nation depended on the development of its education system which in turn depended on its operators, tools, method and curriculum.
Adebule, Chairperson of the conference, said that education system should address societal challenges if we were to keep up with global development. (NAN)
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Tags: CCMAS Idiat Adebule LASU NERDC NUC Prof. Peter Okebukola
