Reps reject merger of CRK, IRK in schools curriculum

The House of Representatives yesterday reversed the decision of the Ministry of Education to merge Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) and Islamic Religious Knowledge (IRK) with Civic Education making CRK, IRK to be taught separately as subjects in schools. The House also mandated the Ministry to make Civic Education compulsory in both primary and
secondary schools across Nigeria. This followed a motion titled: ‘Call to make Civic Education an optional instead of a compulsory subject for Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE)’ moved by Hon. Beni Lar (Pleatu-PDP). Moving the motion, Lar noted that under the previous Secondary School Curriculum which brought a lot of discontentment, Civic Education was not a compulsory subject and Religious Education was taught as Islamic Religious Knowledge (IRK) and
Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK), both of which were optional subjects. She also noted that the Federal Ministry of Education introduced a revised curriculum without due consultation with parents and stakeholders and the new nine (9) year Basic Education Curriculum on Religion and National Values Consolidated Religious Education and Civic Education under National Values and made Civic Education a compulsory subject for Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations. She also observed that the curriculum for primary one to three (1-3) which is the formative stage of a child does not provide for adequate teaching of the religious beliefs of the people but rather destructive halftruths which destroys the fundamentals of the religious beliefs and erodes the essence of such religion being taught the children. “It is a concerned that
the new curriculum which is in conflict with certain religious beliefs also makes the teaching of those beliefs compulsory.