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U C ATI ON A L
R NIGERIAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND

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DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (NERDC)
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The New 9-Year Basic Education Curriculum

By
Sunday N. Orji
Senior Research Officer – NERDC Sheda, Abuja
nsorji@yahoo.com; 08069259978

State held on the 23rd – 24th August, 2012.

Presented at a Sensitization & Advocacy Workshop for Teachers in Taraba
 Antecedence
 Education is regarded as the vehicle for sustainable socio-economic
development and advancement . Thus, nations are reforming and
strengthening their educational system to meet their aspirations as well as
International Development Goals (IDGs).

 In Nigeria, the National Council on Education (NCE) in 2005 mandated

NERDC to produce a viable curriculum to meet national and international
goals (including NEEDS, EFA & MDGs).

o NEEDS = National Economic Development and Empowerment strategy.

It encompasses
Value re-orientation
Poverty eradication
Job creation and wealth generation
Using education to empower the people 2
 Antecedence cont…
o MDGs = Millennium Development Goals
 Internationally agreed framework of 8 goals and 18 targets to stimulate
global development
 Launched in September 2000; benchmark period 1990 to 2015
 189 signatory countries (including Nigeria) are expected to create
effective implementation strategies and structures for the MDGs

Goal 1: Eradication of Extreme Hunger and Poverty

Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education
Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women, and
Goal 4:Reduce Child Mortality
Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health
Goal 6: Combat HlV/AlDS, malaria and other diseases
Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development

 The education sector is concerned with MDGs 2, 3 & 6

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 Antecedence cont…

 Based on NCE directives, NERDC successfully re-structuring and re-

alignment of the Primary and Secondary Education Curriculum for the
achievement of the national and global development goals.

One of the products of the restructuring is the Universal Basic

Education (UBE)

The New BEC has not only updated the old content standards, but
also introduced new subject matter and associated skill
requirements for pedagogy.
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 Goals of the 9-year Basic Education Programme
 Developing in the entire citizenry a strong consciousness for
education and a strong committed to its vigorous promotion.
 Providing free and compulsory, universal basic education for every
Nigerian child of school-going age.
 Reducing drastically the incidence of early leaving from the formal
school system.
 Catering for the learning needs of young persons who, for one reason
or another, have had to interrupt their schooling through appropriate
forms of complementary approaches to the provision and promotion of
basic education.
 Ensuring the acquisition of appropriate levels of literacy, numeracy,
manipulative, communicative and life-skills as well as the ethical,
moral and civic values for laying a solid foundation for lifelong
learning.
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 Philosophy of the BEC
The philosophy of the curriculum is that every learner who has
gone through 9-years of basic education should have acquired
appropriate levels of literacy, numeracy, manipulative and life
skills; as well as the ethical, moral, and civic values needed for
laying a solid foundation for life long – learning as a basic for
scientific and reflective thinking.

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 Basic Education Curriculum Structure

 The 9-year basic education curriculum is structured in three levels:

1. Lower Basic Education (Primary 1-3)
2. Middle Basic Education (Primary 4-6)
3. Upper Basic Education (JSS1-3)
Lower basic education curriculum structure

Basic Education Core Compulsory Subjects Elective Subjects

Curriculum Levels
Lower Basic 1. English Studies 1. Agriculture
Education 2. One Major Nigeria Language 2. Home Economics
Curriculum (Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba) 3. Arabic Language
(Primary 1- 3) 3. Mathematics
4. Basic Science & Technology
5. Social Studies NOTE:
6. Civic Education Must offer 1 elective,
7. Cultural & Creative Arts but not more than 2.
(CCA)
8. Christian Religion
Studies/Islamic Studies
9. Physical & Health Education
(PHE)
10. Computer Studies/ICT

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Middle basic education curriculum structure
Basic Education Core Compulsory Subjects Elective Subjects
Curriculum Level
Middle Basic Education 1. English Studies 1. Agricultural
Curriculum 2. One Major 2. Home Economics
(Primary 4-6) (Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba) 3. Arabic Language
3. Mathematics
4. Basic Science &
Technology
5. Social Studies
6. Civic Education NOTE:
7. Cultural & Creative Arts Must offer 1 elective,
(CCA) but not more than 2
8. Christian Religious
Studies/Islamic Studies
9. Physical & Health
Education (PHE)
10. French Language
11. Computer Studies/ICT
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Upper basic curriculum structure
Basic Education Core Compulsory Subjects Elective Subjects
Curriculum Level
Upper Basic 1. English Studies 1. Agriculture
Education Curriculum 2. One Major Nigeria Language 2. Home Economics
(JSS1 -3) (Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba) 3. Arabic Languages
3. Mathematics 4. Business Studies
4. Basic Science
5. Social Studies
6. Civic Education NOTE:
7. Cultural & Creative Arts (CCA) Must offer 1 elective,
8. Christian Religion but not more than 3
Studies/Islamic Studies
9. Physical & Health Education
(PHE)
10. French Language
11. Basic Technology
12. Computer Studies/ICT
1
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Ongoing review of BEC Subjects offer
= 10 subjects curriculum structure

 In view of the complaints of curriculum overload by the end users,

the Federal Government ordered comprehensive review of the BEC.

 There was the need to reduce the subject overload without losing
quality and also to incorporate, if there are any emerging issue that
has come onboard in the last 2 or 3 years

 Emerging issues emphasized:

 Reading
 Security awareness
 Religion and National values
 Entrepreneurship and preparation for vocational training

 The review process is being completed; inauguration intended before

the 2013 academic session 1
1
Ongoing review of BEC Subjects offer = 10 subjects
curriculum structure
New Subject Listing
1. English
2. Mathematics
3. Cultural & Creative Arts
4. Nigerian Languages
5. Basic Science & Technology
6. Religion & National Values
7. Pre-vocational studies
8. French
9. Arabic
10. Business Studies
Components
1. Hausa 2. Ibo 3. Yoruba
Basic Science, Basic
Technology, P.H.E. &
Computer/ICT
C.R.S., Islamic Studies, Social
Studies, Civic Education &
Security Awareness
Agriculture; Home
Economics; Entrepreneurship
1
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 The Basic Features of the New 9-Year BEC
 The subjects are divided into core compulsory and elective subjects
 Electives include Arabic, Agriculture, Home Economics and Business
Studies (Business Studies as elective is introduced in JS1)
Subjects and contents flow systematically from primary 1 to JSS 3, thus
form building blocks for the learning of future contents.
Contents organization are thematic and spiral
There is systematic connection between primary and junior secondary
school contents
Infusion of emerging issues from NEEDs, National Values (ethics and
morals ), Peace Studies and Entrepreneurial skills in the various contents
French is introduced as a core subject from primary 4
Technology is included in the primary school curriculum
Basic Science and Basic Technology become distinct/separate subjects
from JS1

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 Why change from old to new?
 There were limitations and gaps in the old curricula
 There was a disconnect in some subjects between Primary and
JSS curricula:
 Primary science and integrated science
 Introduction technology
 The existing primary and JSS curriculum could not achieve
acquisition of, functional literacy and numeracy, strategic
communication skills, and entrepreneurial skill
 No support for reducing poverty, creating jobs and wealth for
grandaunts
 There was subject overloading
 The old primary and JSS curricula was not in line with the 9-
continous schooling policy
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 Implementation Strategies
 As a deliberate policy, the curriculum was approved to commence in
September, 2008 in schools across the federation at Primary 1 and JSS 1
classes.

By implication, as students progress to the upper classes the old

curriculum is gradually and systematically phased out.

The old curriculum will be phased out gradually over a period of 6

years and 3 years (i.e. 2013 and 2011) for the primary and JSS
components respectively.

The gradually phase out is to allow for:

 Adequate sensitization and Advocacy
 Mobilization of resources
 Staffing; teacher training and retraining
 Provision of infrastructures
 Textbook development and review
 Monitoring of implementation, curriculum feedback and review 15
 Implementation Strategy …
 However excellent the new curricula, effective implementation is
hinged upon collaboration and commitment of all critical
stakeholders.

 Thus, to ensure effective implementation of BEC, critical

stakeholders should be involved in:
 Bulk purchase/distribution of the subject-based curricula
 Distribution of the curricula to (6) Zonal Offices for easy access
 Bulk sales/distribution to SMoE
 Individual state collaboration with the NERDC in organizing
sensitization/training workshop for teachers
 Annual state level Advocacy and sensitization of on the
curriculum
 Development and printing of Teacher’s Guide
 Development, printing and distribution of NERDC manual for
development and utilization of instructional resources
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 Implementation Strategy … Head Teachers/Teachers
oThe teacher is expected to play a critical role in the effective
implementation of the new BEC at the classroom level!
o Needs be abreast with the structure, content and philosophy of the BEC
o Critical roles??
 School level sensitization and advocacy on the curricula
 Procurement of adequate no. the new curricula & Teacher Handbooks
4A questions [Aware? Available? Access? Adequacy?]
 Guiding students on choice of subjects
 Encourage & supervise the use of the curriculum by teachers
 Capacity building for teachers relevant to the new BEC
 Planning lessons, designing activities, continuous assessment, etc.
 Encourage writing & review of textbooks
 Writing of test items; development of test banks
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 Implementation strategies … Assessment Policy

 Pupils who successfully complete primary 6 will proceed to JSS1

without a selective (placement) examination
 Abolition of terminal examination for primary 6 pupils
 Scrapping of the central common entrance (placement) examination for
primary 6 pupils into JSS1
 Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) at the end of the 9-
year basic education schooling in June 2010 to replace the Junior
Secondary Certificate Examination
 Introduction of selective (placement) examination for graduating JSS
students who are potentially bound for senior secondary (post basic)
education

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 Group assignment???
 Briefly demonstrate how to use the curriculum in your subject area for the
following teaching activities:
1. Preparing scheme of work
2. Writing lesson note
3. Selecting appropriate instructional materials
4. Choosing relevant textbook
5. Designing engaging learning activities
6. Assessing students (test item generation and administration; essay-
objective test choice, etc.)
7. Planning, research and development project
8. Monitoring of curriculum implementation at school level
9. Giving curricula feedback (e.g. perceived difficult concepts;
discovered best practices; etc.)

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  Conclusion

 The success of our education and subsequent achievement of

the national and global development goals is hinged upon the
effective implementation of the curriculum.

 Thus, all stakeholders must of necessity be actively committed

for the success of the new BEC!

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Thank you for
listening!

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