Making Nigeria’s New Curriculum Work

By Ogwezzy Richardson PhD

The Nigerian government has taken an important step by updating the school curriculum to meet modern educational and societal needs. However, for this reform to truly succeed, deliberate efforts must be made to ensure that teachers, students, and stakeholders are well-prepared to bring the curriculum to life in classrooms and beyond.

A curriculum is the total plan of what a school provides for teaching and learning. It includes all the subjects, topics, skills, values and experiences that students are expected to learn during the time in school. It also covers everything-and how students are taught by teachers, the materials used, and how students’ progress is assessed.

The use of curriculum in secondary schools is very important because it provides a clear roadmap for learning and ensures that teaching is organized and progressive. It helps to maintain consistence and standardization so that students across the country are taught similar knowledge and skills, which makes examinations fair. The curriculum also supports the holistic development of learners by including morals, social, cultural, and physical education, in addition to academics. It serves as guide to the teachers and students by outlining what should be taught and learned at each stage. Furthermore, it prepares learners for further education, further career and participation in society. Finally, the curriculum promotes national goals and values by transmitting cultural heritage, building unity and discipline, and preparing young people to contribute meaningfully to national development.

A secondary school curriculum should be changed or considered no longer valid when it fails to meet the needs of the students, society or the nation. This happens when the content becomes outdated and does not reflect modern knowledge, technology or global trends. It may also occur when the curriculum no longer matches the skills and attitude required for jobs, industries and national development. If students consistently perform poorly, lose interest or cannot apply what they learn in real life, it shows the curriculum is ineffective. In addition, changes in national goals or educational policies can make the existing curriculum unsuitable. Feedback from teachers, parents, employees, and experts may also reveal its weaknesses or irrelevance. If students cannot compete with their peers internationally because the curriculum is below global standards, then a review and change become necessary.

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Before a country changes a curriculum, it must first conduct a needs assessment to identify the strengths and weaknesses of its existing system. Stakeholders’ involvement is crucial, with teachers, students, parents, employers, experts and policymakers contributing to the design. Clear goals and objectives should be defined to show what the curriculum aims to achieve, whether in preparing students for higher education, jobs, or national development. Teachers must be trained to support and implement the changes effectively, while resources such as textbooks, teaching aids, technology, and facilities must be provided. The curriculum should also be pilot tested to detect challenges before full roll out, and a framework must be established to track progress, measure outcomes, and keep the curriculum relevant.

If a curriculum is changed without proper preparation, several corrective measures can be applied to rescue the situation. First, teacher retraining should be introduced to equip educators with the skills needed to deliver the new content effectively. Next, the government and stakeholders should provide supplementary resources, such as updated textbooks, digital tools, and teaching aids, to fill material gaps. Where curriculum fails to meet societal or job market needs, stakeholders consultations should be quickly organized to adjust content and make more relevant. If pilot testing was skipped, phased implementation can be adopted, starting in selected schools, while identifying challenges and gradually scaling up.

To address ongoing issues, a robust monitoring and evaluation system should be urgently established to track outcomes and provide feedback for continuous improvement. Ultimately, policy adjustments and curriculum reviews should remain open to revision and continuous improvement.

To effectively implement the updated curriculum, it is crucial to prioritise comprehensive teacher training, infrastructure development, and practical skills, while adopting a phased approach, monitoring progress, providing continuous professional development, conducting regular reviews, and addressing regional disparities. There should be adequate resources such as textbooks, digital tools, laboratories, and well equipped classrooms must be provided. Modern methods that promote creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving should replace rote memorization. Partnership with parents, employers, and communities are also important to ensure the curriculum reflects real life needs and prepares learners for higher education and the job market. Proper funding, supportive policies, and accountability are essential to sustain the curriculum and make it a tool for national development.

Apart from these, the successful implementation of a new curriculum necessitates strategic staffing initiatives. To effectively deliver the revised content, there is a pressing need to recruit competent teachers for the newly introduced subjects. Concurrently, investing in the upskilling of existing teachers is crucial, enabling them to seamlessly integrate new pedagogical approaches and subject matter expertise into their teaching practices. By adopting a dual approach of recruitment and upskilling, secondary education can ensure a smooth transition to the new curriculum and eventually enhance the quality of education.

On a lighter note, while we are revamping the curriculum, shouldn’t we also upgrade the school facilities? Many secondary schools in Nigeria lack basic amenities like functional laboratories and libraries. You can’t put new wine in old bottles. Just as new wine can’t be contained in old bottles, a new curriculum can’t thrive in schools lacking basic amenities. We need to upgrade our facilities to match our aspirations.  If we want our new curriculum to strive, we need to create an environment that supports learning. Let us fix the foundations, so that our students can build a brighter future.