NOT many critics of the education
sector who believe that some things
are definitely wrong with the sector
can proffer solutions to the
decadence bedeviling the sector. Dr.
Adebayo Oyeyemi who lectured
Mathematics in the tertiary institution
for years and also an administrator of
Good Shepherd Group of Schools,
Lagos, is not one of them.
He has pointed out some confusions
and solution in the implementation of
the new curriculum, lamenting that
the university requirements through
UTME is missing in the new
curriculum. ”Nigeria is one of the
countries that has the best
educational policies but the problem
is consistency and implementation
as well as aligning what is
happening at the grass-root.
“The new national curriculum is very
good because it aligns with global
practices as it focuses on
specialisation right from the onset.
For example, if a child is going to
become a medical doctor, right from
the primary school, he should be
having the tendencies that is directed
in that way, then narrow it down
when he gets to JSS and eventually
to SS1, where he can focus on
sciences.”
According to him, the curriculum
does not align with university
requirements in Nigeria. “There are
some schools that follow this new
curriculum like our school and at the
end of the day, cannot gain
admission to the university.” He
noted that the university
requirements through UTME are
different from what we have in the
new curriculum. For instance, if a
child is going to study engineering,
the new curriculum tells us he does
not need Biology and Chemistry.
In the new curriculum, he said, we
have five basic subjects that are
compulsoryn then a student has to
pick three subjects from his area of
specializations making it eight. Thus,
we have English, Maths, Trade, Civic
and Computer. In the old curriculum,
Computer was compulsory, in the
new curriculum , Computer has been
removed.
“Due to your area of specialisation,
you need three subjects or four and
then take one elective across the four
divisions. Others are Humanities,
Business, Science, Mathematics and
technology.”
He maintained that both Business
and Technology are having problems.
In the new curriculum, it is not
compulsory for them to do Biology,
Chemistry, and Physics adding that
there are other subjects that are
related like Basic Electricity, Basic
Electronics, Food and Nutrition ,
Technical Drawing and so on.
He argued that if a child should
follow that into-to, he will not get
admission to the university because
the universities still base their
requirements on the old curriculum
which says if a child wants to study
Engineering, he should have Physics,
Chemistry and Mathematics, now that
is the problem.
His words: “It is a serious problem
as Physics and Chemistry are no
more a Technology requirement.
They are under Science and
Mathematics for those studying
Medical Sciences and General
Science. So, if we should follow the
new curriculum, it is perfect. That is
why I said, by policy, they are
excellent, but by implementation, no
communication. There is a gap.
“Till date, many schools do not know
what to do as far as implementation
is concerned. Though, we nearly fell
victim when they gave us the
curriculum and told us that we
should simply follow the curriculum.
However, the government needs to sit
down and bring professionals
together.
“It is not just copying what happens
in America, what happens abroad,
but is also to customise our
curriculum and when we customise
it, we should communicate how to
implement it to educators. “The
Ministry of Education should go to
the field and get feedback on what is
happening on the field. What is
happening on the field is different. In
fact, it is like we are gambling with
the lives of these children.
“On the part of WAEC, they came up
with Civic education, thereby mixing
both the new and the old curriculum
together.
“For Lagos state government, it said
Biology is compulsory. Everybody is
now bringing ideas. You do not run a
curriculum like that. You sit down
and figure out what your goal is?
What do you want to achieve with
these children? Then, you set what
will take them there. All ideas should
be gathered together in a single
document of the curriculum.
“If the Federal Government says that
technology students do not need
Physics and Chemistry from the
curriculum, why should somebody
now rise up, and say they still need
Chemistry, Biology? There should be
a unique document.
“Now we have to see how to
manoeuvre ourselves, so that we will
not fall victim, because some
children did not gain admission.
They removed Economics from
Commercial, they put it under
Humanities. Universities still require
economics for Commercial students.
“In some schools, it was when the
UTME requirements came that they
started doing Economics, and those
students failed woefully. However,
the new curriculum is perfect, to me,
It is what I have been soliciting for.
In fact, because of the old
curriculum, there were some
vocational things we put in our
school, like IT.
“I embrace the new curriculum
because you do not need to bother
students with what they do not need.
Bring in general subject that will give
them general knowledge then let
them specialize. Civic education,
English, Mathematics and Trade are
general. Then let every child
specialize in the areas where he has
his own gift and his own inclination.”

Source:http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/09/utme-varsity-requirements-missing-in-new-curriculum/