'Nigeria's education curriculum, teachers are poor' - ex-NUC boss

Prof. Peter Okebukola, a former Executive Secretary National Universities Commission (NUC), says the education curriculum and method of training teachers in Nigeria is defective and not in tune with modern trends in teaching.

Okebukola said this on in his keynote address at a Colloquium on Education in Nigeria organised the Government Secondary School, Owerri, Old Boys Association on Thursday in Abuja.

The theme of the colloquium is "A Review of the Education Sector in Nigeria and Recommendations for Sector-Wide Reforms.’’

Okebukola, who also identified other challenges confronting the education sector, said that teachers’ preparation had been worsened by the Sandwich programmes.

"The teacher factor in education is critical; the teacher has very low content, not deep in his subject.

"I propose that education, as a degree programme be for five years; you concentrate on your core subject for four years and on the fifth year, you concentrate on education -- teaching skills.

"Teachers must continue to upgrade themselves and run regular competence test; they should also have more time for teaching practice.

"Students are no longer as diligent as they used to be; they do not read as they used to; they are now more inclined to social media.’’

He said that the curriculum was laden with too many topics -- "junks’’ which are not relevant to modern development.

The professor of Science Education said that there was little room for projects and field work; opportunities for experiment and developing the skills of a scientist.

According to him, Nigeria’s education curriculum needs to be trimmed to lay emphasis on 21st century skills.

Okebukola also recommended the collapse of all higher education regulatory bodies into a Tertiary Education Council, to streamline operations and ensure fluency.