The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) has debunked speculations and misinformation surrounding the newly revised Basic Education Curriculum (BEC) and Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC), stressing that only authentic information issued by the council should be relied upon.
In a notice signed by its executive secretary, Prof. Salisu Shehu, the council explained that the Federal Ministry of Education had already approved the revised curricula and provided frameworks for subject offerings and implementation.
Prof. Shehu emphasised that the curriculum reform effort was part of the National Education Sector Renewal Initiatives (NESRI) and aligned with global best practices.
He also said learners would be exposed to new content areas in the new curriculum, designed to meet 21st-century demands.
“The focal content areas will enable acquisition of knowledge, skills and competencies including basic robotics, positive artificial intelligence, and digital technologies, as well as life, citizenship, and sports skills. The revised curricula will also promote moral values, religious tolerance, and unity in diversity,” he said.
The council reiterated that Christian Religious Studies (CRS) and Islamic Studies (IS) remain elective subjects at the senior secondary level, with learners free to choose based on their faith.
“For the avoidance of doubt, all learners at the senior secondary school level are offered the choice of either Christian Religious Studies or Islamic Studies, on the basis of their faith from home. There is no composite subject as is being speculated. Claims about a so-called ‘Religion and National Values’ curriculum are false, as that subject was disarticulated over a decade ago.”
According to him, subjects across the levels have been streamlined to reduce overload, create more learning time, and make them more performance- and learner-centered.
“Implementation of the new revised curricula has already commenced. It begins at the start of each three-year learning cycle Primary 1, Primary 4, JSS 1, and SSS 1.”
