The National Universities Commission (NUC) move to impose Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) on universities exempting the contribution of several senates has been met with contrary reaction from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). In a statement signed by the ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the union claims that CCMAS poses a “serious risk” towards maintaining high quality in Nigerian university education. He described it as an affront to the academic freedom and university autonomy that the union has long stood up for.
Curriculum revision, examinations, and the conferral of degrees and certificates in each of the universities are all functions of the university Senate by law, but CCMAS is seen as an emaciation to the Senate’s authority. The union believes that the imposition of CCMAS is a tactic to implement the World Bank’s Nigerian University System Innovation Programme (NUSIP). Be aware that the union previously rejected NUSIP in the 1990s and is now firmly opposed to the imposition of CCMAS on Nigerian universities. CCMAS, according to Prof. Osodeje, is an inferno paradigm of curriculum restructuring and an anomaly to the Nigeria University System (NUS).
Widespread opposition to CCMAS cannot go unnoticed.
According to him the CCMAS documents are inaccurate in both method and content, which the supposed perfect 70 percent CCMAS would fail the rigorous review of university senates. He said that the National Universities Commission (NUC) should push universities to provide novel ideas for the evaluation of their programmes, just as the University of Ibadan does now. He also suggested forming more qualified expert teams to analyze the current BMAS document and, if necessary, create ones before any action is taken on the recommendations submitted by numerous universities.
In contrast to the CCMAS’s top-to-bottom or take-it-or-leave-it strategy, this one works from the bottom-up. Prof. Osodeke said the union has received many complaints about the CCMAS’s potential risk to university education in Nigeria and the Senate’s dereliction of authority, stressing that the widespread opposition to CCMAS cannot go unnoticed by the union. The NUC’s insistence that the NUS adopt its pre-packaged version of the CCMAS, comprising 70% of the total, is perplexing given that university senates who are statutorily tasked with developing academic programmes are left with just 30 percent.
Standard-setting procedure is as crucial as the minimum standards.
Prof. Osodeke continued by saying that the ASUU is aware of the fact that the NUC is responsible for establishing academic standards and guaranteeing quality in the NUS. However, Section 10 (1) of the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, Cap E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 requires the NUC to establish minimum standards for all universities awarding degrees in the Federation and to accredit all degrees and other academic awards granted by such a university. Prof. Osodeke pointed out that the standard-setting procedure itself is just as crucial as the minimum standards.
He said that the NUC recently produced CCMAS documents covering 70 percent of curricular concepts across 17 disciplines with little or no participation from the institutions by following unclear procedures. Agriculture, Allied Health, Architecture, (v) Arts, Basic Medical Sciences, Computing, Communication and Media Studies, Education, Engineering and Technology, Environmental Sciences, Law, Medicine and Dentistry, Pharmaceutical Science, Social Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine are just some of the disciplines discussed. He disclosed widespread increased worries about the CCMAS documents’ myriad flaws and glaring deficiencies.
Proposed 70:30 ratio does not display discipline in institutions.
Many university administrators, he said, despite being unsatisfied with CCMAS, were reluctant to publicly express their opinions. While the NUC continues to push CCMAS on Nigerian universities, certain university senates have made their opposition clear. According to Prof. Osodeke, the University of Ibadan (UI) Senate discussed this issue at length during a special meeting on June 16th, 2023, and concluded that the proposed 70:30 split does not allow for the display of discipline in institutions. Since the UI Senate has taken this decision, it follows that “submissions made by various departments, reflecting the desirable contents to be submitted to the NUC”.
Related Link
NUC-CCMAS: Website
ASUU slams NUC varsity curriculum design – CCMAS, an inferno paradigm of curriculum restructuring and anomaly to NUS. – Express your point of view.
I don’t have a strong opinion on the topic since I’m not familiar with the details. However, it’s important to have a curriculum that provides students with a well-rounded education and prepares them for their future careers. It’s also important for academic staff to have input in the curriculum design process to ensure that it meets the needs of students and the university.
ASUU should allow the NUC to do their job. It is the responsibility of the association to do the things or creates standards that their schools will be governed by. This is why they need to have the freewill to establish their standards for the interest of the students.
The introduction of the CCMAS curriculum design by the NUC has evoked strong criticism from ASUU. The union argues that the centralized and inflexible nature of CCMAS undermines academic freedom, neglects interdisciplinary approaches, and disregards the input of stakeholders. ASUU advocates for a more inclusive and participatory curriculum restructuring process that prioritizes creativity, critical thinking, and adaptability to better serve the needs of Nigerian universities and students.
A curriculum that gives children a well-rounded education and gets them ready for their future vocations is crucial. In order to make sure that the curriculum is created to fulfill the needs of both students and the university, it is crucial for academic staff to participate in the process.
ASUU slams NUC varsity curriculum design, In order to better meet the needs of Nigerian universities and students, ASUU argues for a more open and participatory curriculum reform process that places a priority on innovation, critical thinking, and flexibility. A better curriculum should be made for the university
A curriculum that prepares students for their future careers while providing them with an adequate education is essential. It is essential that academic staff participate in the process to ensure that the curriculum is developed to satisfy the needs of both students and the university. Curriculum is what the student will be taught is better a perfect curriculum is formed
University senates should play a significant role in the curriculum design process to ensure that students receive a well-rounded education that will help them succeed in their chosen fields.
It will be improper for the National Universities Commission (NUC) to introduce a curriculums that affect the restructuring system of the Universities. National Universities Commission (NUC) should always do their findings before imposing rules on the University system.
The reality of the whole matter is that Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) can’t work with 70:30 percentage while the NUC gains the upper hand. Each universities have their Senates that is statutory to determine and grant degrees and direct the affairs of the school. The introduced Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) is a tactic employ by the government to trying to gain total control of all the universities in the country.