History, as a subject, has been removed from the basic education curriculum in Nigeria since the past thirteen years under the regime of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and the then Minister of Education, Aisha Jubril Dukku, for reasons that are not considered genuine enough. Some of these reasons include lesser availability of jobs for History graduates and dearth of teachers to teach the subject. Also, it was said that history was expunged from the curriculum to conceal some parts of the nation’s history from young Nigerians.
Stakeholders reacted to the removal of this subject as they are unable to fathom likely reasons for the removal of the subject. History is regarded as the main consideration in the establishment of foreign policy objectives in any country, therefore, Nigeria denied its citizen of their rights to sound education causing a relegation and eroding of the knowledge and information that learners ought to be aware of. The current Minister of Education, Adamu, admitted that the expungement of history from the curriculum was a monumental mistake that has serious consequences for the country.
Country with no sense of history is a soulless nation – Prof. Alao.
Some of the consequences of this removal include a fall in moral values, disconnection from the past, erosion of civic values and eroded knowledge of the evolution of Nigeria as a country. The Minister further stated that lack of knowledge about the evolution of Nigeria has led to the threatening of national cohesion with the country’s retreat to primordial sentiments. Stakeholders likewise hold their grounds that History should have been made compulsory in schools just like mathematics.
A Professor of Legal History at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, Akin Alao, asserted that a country that has no sense of history is a nation with no soul. Alao further stated that majority of the challenges facing the country and efforts put into nation-building in the country are consequences of neglecting history. His statement is backed up by the words of a Roman statesman, philosopher and academic skeptic, Marcus Cicero, which says “not to know what happened before you were born is to forever remain a child.”
History possesses values that can develop people’s minds.
In addition, the essentiality of history is not only in its certification but also in its role in intellectual rebirth and cultural revival that can enable the educational system of a country to enhance the minds of young Nigerians. A senior lecturer at the Department of History and International Studies, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka, Sam Okeke, affirmed that history also requires proper documentation for all Nigerians, whether ugly or not. He noted that values that are capable of developing people’s minds are embedded in history as there is no discipline without its own history.
The Head of Department, History and International Studies, Legacy University, Okija, Anambra State, Ezeme Vincent, commented on the reintroduction of History as a stand-alone subject that would not only be taught in class but would also be written in internal and external examinations in the country after its thirteen years of removal, saying it is a welcome development. The lecturer added that Nigeria should hold her history in high esteem like every other great nation of the world.
3,700 history teachers have been selected for training.
To strengthen the reintroduction of History, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, stated that there has been a selection of 3,700 history teachers from the 36 states of the country including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for training – 100 teachers from each state and the FCT. To further complement measures taken to solidify the return of History, state governments are expected to collaborate with private sector initiatives to set up mini-museums of history in different local governments headquarters to enable education tours.
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FG reintroduces History to basic curriculum – Stakeholders claim that reasons for removal of History were ingenuine. – Express your point of view.
The federal government are just waking up to this reality that no country can do without history. There is a tribal and political undertone for such unexplainable action.
It is possible that the federal government is hiding something about the origin of some set of tribes because their expungement of history from the school curriculum is not justifiable. Anyway we thank God that it has been restored back to the curriculum.
The abolition of history subject from the curriculum shows that the government doesn’t really know what they were doing concerning education system in the country because lots of knowledge can be gain from study history of someone country which are really beneficial to the students and promote good moral,ethics and culture.
No nation has ever thrived by leaving out his history from the next generation I see no reason why it was remove from the curriculum but what a welcome development for it’s re introduction back into the school curriculum.
The history of Nigeria ought to be held in the same high regard as that of every other great nation in the globe.
The removal of history from the curriculum was a huge blunder with major ramifications for the nation.
No discipline exists without its own history, and inside that history are the values that have the potential to foster the growth of individuals’ minds. No discipline exists without its own history, and inside that history are the values that have the potential to foster the growth of individuals’ minds.
History is a very important subject in secondary school. It tells us about our origin and how we originated. It is a very good subject to be introduced back.
History should have been a part of our curriculum all along. We ought to know our origin, things that happened in the past, how certain things came about and all of that. It’s a good one the federal government are awake to that reality now
One of these reasons is that there is less employment available for history graduates, and another is that there is a shortage of professors to teach the subject.
It is very unfortunate that history was removed from the school curriculum in order to keep some aspects of the nation’s past hidden from younger Nigerians.
The government of Nigeria denied its citizens the right to receive an adequate education, which led to a decline in the quantity and quality of the information and knowledge that students should be aware of.
The loss of this history has contributed to a decline in moral standards, an alienation from the past, a loss of civic pride, and an ignorance of Nigeria’s historical development.
According to rumors, history was removed from the curriculum in order to hide some aspects of the country’s history from young Nigerians. That is completely ludicrous. Why conceal Nigerians’ genuine identities from them?
Due to a lack of education about Nigeria’s history, the country has reverted to more primitive beliefs, which poses a threat to the country’s ability to maintain its national cohesion.
It is encouraging to see that Stakeholders share the view that history, like mathematics, should have been required coursework in schools.
It is impossible to have a field that does not have its own history; therefore, values that are capable of molding people’s brains are ingrained in history.
A country should never forget his history because the history also help in the next generation of the country it is nice move reintroduce it back to school curriculum
Our curriculum always should have included historical studies. To fully understand where we came from and how we got to where we are now, we need to study our history.
Stakeholders claim that reasons for removal of History were ingenuine. The federal government hide and change so many things about the history which is very bad, due to their selfish interest. But we most get there by God grace
Our curriculum always should have included historical studies. To fully understand where we came from and how we got to where we are now, we need to study our history.