..sets subject limit to reduce overload
The Federal Government has unveiled new curricula for basic, senior secondary, and technical education, designed to reduce the challenge of content overload and enhance quality learning outcomes.
The new curricula expected to take off from 2025/26 academic session, is launched for the schools following the completion of a comprehensive review by relevant government agencies in collaboration with stakeholders.
Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sai’d Ahmad announced this on behalf of the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa in a statement on Sunday in Abuja,
The government effort is in response to complaints by experts of curriculum overload and obsolescence, hence the need to introduce new concepts like digital literacy and entrepreneurship, aiming to create a more functional, holistic, and relevant curriculum for Nigerian students.
The feedback from curriculum implementation, identified duplication and repetition of concepts as a major cause of overload, leading to inefficiencies in teaching and learning.
The reforms aimed to replace or remove obsolete subjects and introduce new ones that are more relevant to the modern world with the overarching goal of ensuring that every learner acquires appropriate levels of literacy, numeracy, and life skills, as well as the ethical and moral values necessary for a lifelong learning foundation.
The Minister of State for Education, Ahmad, in the statement announcing the new curricula for schools said the review was conducted in collaboration with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and other key stakeholders.
The statement released by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo, quoted the Minister as saying that the new framework balances subject offerings with deeper, more practical learning.
At the primary level, pupils in Primary 1–3 will offer 9–10 subjects, while those in Primary 4–6 will take 10–12. For Junior Secondary School, the range is 12–14 subjects; Senior Secondary students will take 8–9; and technical schools will offer 9–11 subjects.
Professor Ahmad stressed that the revised curricula are designed to reduce content overload, allow more time for learning, and ensure that education remains relevant to the realities of today’s world.
The Ministry commended stakeholders for their commitment and assured them that the new curricula would be implemented with strict monitoring to guarantee effective adoption and a smooth transition in schools nationwide.
