Page 42 - Blooms Schools Yearbook 2019

Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC). While many have kicked against this,
emphasizing that this may cause religious upheaval in the country, they seem to have forgotten that Nigeria
is already knee deep in religious upheaval and this may just be a way to help Christians understand the
intricacy of Islam and vice versa. This may just be the way out of the Nigerian religious upheaval. This may
just be the best way to prepare a generation of tolerant Nigerians who are willing to embrace their religious
differences. This may be the way out of religious wars and the decrease in the number of religious fanatics.
This may be the first step towards developing Nigeria. Just as a step has been taken to merge the Christian
and Islamic religious study, a similar step should be taken to merge not just the three major
languages/cultures (Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa) but all cultures of the Nigerian society. While this may seem
like an impossible task to accomplish, it is achievable. Rather than have Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa as subject,
totally ignoring the minor languages, a subject somewhat like “Cultural Studies” should be introduced,
where languages are not taught but the cultures inherent in Nigeria. This subject should be taught at all
academic stages (9 -3- 4). Just as General Studies are taught in the first few years of tertiary institutions,
“Cultural Studies” should also be taught at tertiary institutions.

The teaching of the three major languages has not been productive as it should be in the first place; these
languages are meant to be taught in the homes and emphasized in classrooms. You can never get a different
result from doing things the same way. Nigeria has had the three major languages in the curriculum for
decades and these languages are still increasingly becoming insignificant to Nigerian youths. This is simply a
recommendation that may not appeal to many but it can never be swept under the carpet that unity is the
first step towards societal development.

Furthermore, the fact that no educational system can rise above its teachers and no society can experience
remarkable development without quality teachers has been well documented. It is therefore not an
overstatement that the professionalization of teaching and making the teacher the centre of educational
reform in every society, will enhance teachers' productivity, reduce the systemic problems in the
educational sector, ensure effective service delivery, engage other sectors of society as well as place
education as instrument par excellence for societal development. Hence to build a better society,
educational leaders should place great emphasis on the professionalization of teaching.

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