To enhance the capacity for basic education and training in schools, the Federal Government says it was considering a comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s curriculum.
The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, who disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja while speaking during a panel discussion on National Child Well-being at the Nigerian Economic Summit (#NES) said the plan was to encourage the development of creative skills in children and prepare them for future innovation.“We are going to rejig the education curriculum for basic schools. We want to strengthen some level of critical thinking at that level. The teaching has to be in a way to nurture their capability at that stage to think critically and innovatively,” the Minister said.The current numeracy and literacy skills taught in basic schools across the country, he noted, are grossly inadequate to prepare Nigerian children for present-day realities ruled by technology and creative thinking.He underscored the importance of teaching soft skills, such as critical thinking and practical skills at the basic level to improve the quality of learning and nurture children’s capabilities to think critically and innovatively. Also, the Minister said the government would focus on basic education, which has suffered neglect in the recent past. “The government is developing policies to increase enrollment in basic schools across the country. Although currently it is offered free, the attendance is low, with a high population of out-of-school children,” he said. The need for better learning opportunities and facilities in basic schools, he pointed out, has informed government’s plan to engage the governors who have the funding responsibility to achieve this at that level. The minister who highlighted the shortage of teachers and classrooms across the country as some of the challenges the system was facing said there was a gap of about 950,000 teachers and 20,000 classrooms in the system. He assured that the government was working on ways to improve the existing facilities as well as provide security around schools, especially in vulnerable areas, to ensure the safety of children and teachers.On his part, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, who also spoke at the event emphasized the importance of health and education in human capital development.”The government is working hard to expand and recalibrate the vulnerable group fund to provide health insurance for the poorest of the poor and ensure health security,” he said.
To enhance the capacity for basic education and training in schools, the Federal Government says it was considering a comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s curriculum.
The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, who disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja while speaking during a panel discussion on National Child Well-being at the Nigerian Economic Summit (#NES) said the plan was to encourage the development of creative skills in children and prepare them for future innovation.
“We are going to rejig the education curriculum for basic schools. We want to strengthen some level of critical thinking at that level. The teaching has to be in a way to nurture their capability at that stage to think critically and innovatively,” the Minister said.
The current numeracy and literacy skills taught in basic schools across the country, he noted, are grossly inadequate to prepare Nigerian children for present-day realities ruled by technology and creative thinking.
He underscored the importance of teaching soft skills, such as critical thinking and practical skills at the basic level to improve the quality of learning and nurture children’s capabilities to think critically and innovatively.
Also, the Minister said the government would focus on basic education, which has suffered neglect in the recent past.
“The government is developing policies to increase enrollment in basic schools across the country. Although currently it is offered free, the attendance is low, with a high population of out-of-school children,” he said.
The need for better learning opportunities and facilities in basic schools, he pointed out, has informed government’s plan to engage the governors who have the funding responsibility to achieve this at that level.
The minister who highlighted the shortage of teachers and classrooms across the country as some of the challenges the system was facing said there was a gap of about 950,000 teachers and 20,000 classrooms in the system.
He assured that the government was working on ways to improve the existing facilities as well as provide security around schools, especially in vulnerable areas, to ensure the safety of children and teachers.
On his part, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, who also spoke at the event emphasized the importance of health and education in human capital development.
“The government is working hard to expand and recalibrate the vulnerable group fund to provide health insurance for the poorest of the poor and ensure health security,” he said.
