Stakeholders in education have hailed the Federal Government for reintroducing History, emphasising that countries that have achieved development never neglected their history. Frank Ikpefan and Damola Kola-Dare report.
The Federal Government has begun moves to return the teaching of history back to the curriculum. The subject was removed in 2009/2010.
While removing the subject, which was taught along social studies, the government cited lack of interest in history and dearth of teachers among other reasons.
The decision was greeted with criticism, with Noble Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, saying the removal of the subject couldn’t erase memories of the Biafran war fought in 1967 – 1970.
In 2019, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, through the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, attempted to reintroduce the teaching of the subject into the curriculum. Adamu ordered the reintroduction of the subject in 2019 following widespread condemnation.
The minister stated that the National Council on Education had approved the reintroduction of history as a stand-alone subject at the 61st ministerial session in September, 2016.
However, that directive was not followed with action as most states ignored it. Only Lagos State made attempt to begin the teaching of the subject.
The minister, therefore, tasked the Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) with the separation of history from the social studies curriculum into a stand-alone subject. Four years after the directive, the Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Opiah, on Thursday, flagged off the re-introduction and beginning of the training of History teachers in Abuja.
‘Leaders would now be more accountable’
Former Director, Centre for General Nigerian Studies, Lagos State University, Prof. Biodun Akinpelu, said with the reintroduction of History, leaders would be more accountable and their excesses would be checked. According to him, the removal of History from the curriculum was an attempt by leaders to cover up their misdeeds and loopholes.
Akinpelu said: “The removal of History from Basic Education curriculum was deliberate. It was an attempt by leaders to cover up loopholes and misdeeds. The importance of History cannot be overstated. Through the subject, our children would know about the Great Zik of Africa, and the best President Nigeria never had, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. But some people vetoed the removal to cover their evils.
“Now that it has been reintroduced, it is a beautiful thing for democracy. Our children would now begin to ask relevant questions; they won’t just fold their arms and look. Our leaders would now be accountable. Excesses of leaders would now be in check because everything would now be documented and many generations to come would read about it. It is heartening that History has returned to the nation’s education curriculum.”
The need to align with our heritage, by NAPTAN
Deputy National President of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo emphasised the need to align with national heritage and hailed government for reintroducing History.
His words: “The National Educational Research and Development Council has done well by first returning Civics to the primary school curriculum and now History to junior and senior secondary. As a parent body, we do not know why History was cancelled. It is our heritage. History is the study of past events. Do we want to forget our heritage and ancestry? For what purpose was it cancelled? The person who cancelled it was short-sighted. He wanted us to forget our heritage, which is our pride. Do we now start studying the history of America, Asia and Europe?
“Parents are quite glad at the latest development. We commend government. With this, moral decadence will reduce. Our leaders and politicians should also understand that it is a good omen for the nation.”
Prof. Abolade Adeniji of the Department of History and International Studies, Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, said: “The perception is that when we were fighting for independence, the politicians and agitators at that time felt it was useful to prove that History was important before the white man came, that we had a culture, tradition and economic settings. In the 50’s and early 60’s, History used to be one of the core courses in University of Ibadan and it was the only university at that time.
“After independence, it appeared that we said History had served its purpose and we had deployed it to defeat the white men. So, in the early 80’s, History found itself relegated. People didn’t think it was important. It was so bad that one NYSC Director was quoted to have said that people should not send their children to go to the university to read History. It was that bad. Then, there is this suspicion. In 1973 or thereabout, History was removed and Social Studies introduced in its place.
“The eventual outcome was the decline in enrolment for History in schools and students found it easier to pass Government because they said History was more difficult. All these led to the decline in the fortunes of History as a subject/course. In fact, universities found it problematic to get students to study the course. Then, the implication is if you don’t know where you are coming from, you won’t know where you are going.
“At one time, former President Olusegun Obasanjo made a pronouncement that History be reintroduced. Then, somewhere along the line, it was yanked off again.
“However, it is gratifying to know that it is being reintroduced. We hope that tomorrow, somebody would not come again and say it is unimportant. Everywhere, countries that have achieved any measure of advancement had not neglected their history; Nigeria cannot be different. You cannot crave advancement and say you don’t want to understand your past. Then, pronouncement is one thing, implementation is another.
“I mentioned Herbert Macaulay (Father of Nigeria nationalism) in the presence of my child; he asked if he was a film actor. He had never heard the name before. If we continue like this, in the next 20 years, if you mention Olusegun Obasanjo, people will ask if he is from Sierra Leone. We must have a sense of our history.”
Educationist: return of subject to curriculum long overdue
Speaking on the development, a Lagos-based educationist, Mrs. Dideolu Adekogbe, while welcoming the reintroduction of history into the curriculum, said the subject should not have been removed in the first place.
Adekogbe, who is the Lead Consultant, Florish-Gate Global Consult and Convener, Bring Back Primary6 Movement, said: “It was long overdue. It should have happened before; it should not have been removed in the first place. It was a plot by the government to deny the youth the privilege of knowing what happened before now.
“You know they actually achieved their aim. The present generation of youths under 30 years do not know the history of this nation and how we got to where we are. It’s only few ones that have faint ideas; those that their parents talk to about the past.
“It’s a welcome development for reintroducing it and a major challenge here is that it was also taken off from the higher institutions. Now, who will teach it? That will be a major stumbling block. The training of History Studies specialist is also a major issue in its implementation.”
On the benefits of the subject to students, she said: “They (students) will know the story behind the nation Nigeria. So, they understand when older people are advocating for restructuring or resource allocation.”
Decision right for the country, says Historical Society of Nigeria
Also, the National Public Relations Officer, Historical Society of Nigeria (HSN), Dr. Fidelis Enang Egbe, hailed the decision to return the subject.
He said: “It simply means that Nigeria is beginning to take the right step because since 1982-83 when History was yanked off from junior school curriculum, it meant that people at that period could not study Nigerian history between then and now that states are beginning to take action even though it was reintroduced in 2016.
“It means that all the people that were born within this period of hiatus do not have the sense of the Nigerian history. It means they do not know the story of Nigeria and the events that took place between then as well as how and why those events happened.
“By implication, it means that those people lost their identity as Nigerians because it is history that gives you your identity. Although when it was yanked off those who masterminded it introduced social studies and history, but that is not history. In fact, these are droplets of history and historical events.
“Nigeria did a disservice to her citizens between 1980s and now by denying them the opportunity to know their history. That is why we keep having agitations for self-determination. The youth do not even know why the civil war happened and why a repeat must be avoided.
“But by the reintroduction, it means we are now beginning to toe the right direction in giving the opportunity to Nigerian youths to learn and understand our history in order to become better and patriotic citizens.
“A country without history will always continue to grope in the dark. In civilised climes, there is no any single government policy that is formulated without taking cognisance of the history of that country.”
On whether Nigeria can regain all it has lost as a result of the decision to remove history from the nation’s education curriculum, Egbe said: “It will definitely take a while because it is like a case of someone who had been used to using his right hand to write, but who suddenly lost it in an accident and then having to learn to use his left hand. But the good news is that the Historical Society of Nigeria has continued to campaign and try to give orientation to the people about the Nigerian history. We have really lost a lot; we can’t regain it overnight.”
3,700 history teachers to undergo training
While flagging off the reintroduction of teaching of History and training of History teachers at basic education level on Thursday in Abuja, Adamu noted that 3,700 History teachers have been shortlisted for the first round of training for enhanced teaching of the subject.
Adamu, who was represented by Opiah, lamented that national cohesion was being threatened with the country retreating into primordial sentiments because of lack of knowledge of the evolution of Nigeria following the removal of History from the basic education curriculum.
While speaking at the flag-off attended by Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar and other key stakeholders in the education sector, Adamu said: “History used to be one of the foundational subjects taught in our classroom, but for some inexplicable reasons, the stream of teaching and learning was abolished.
“As a result, history was subsequently expunged from the list of subject combinations our students could offer in both external and internal examinations compared to the subjects that were made compulsory at basic and secondary levels in Nigeria.
“This single act no doubt relegated and eroded the knowledge and information that learners could otherwise have been exposed to. It was a monumental mistake and we have already started seeing its negative consequences
“The loss created by the absence of this subject has led to a fall in moral values, erosion of civic values, and disconnect from the past. More worrisome was the neglect of the teaching of this subject at basic and post basic levels of education, which invariably eroded the knowledge of the evolution of Nigeria as a country.”
He said teachers would be provided with the requisite skills needed to teach the subject, the technique, methodology which will eventually give the subject a didactic outlook that will arouse the interest of the children to listen with rapt attention and remove the initial barriers that may have inhibited learning.
On capacity building for teachers, having been disconnected from History teaching for several years, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, said a total of 3,700 History teachers have been selected from the 36 states of the federation and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for training.
He added that the selection was done on a pro rata basis, 100 teachers each from a state and FCT, stressing that this would equip them with the necessary skills to teach the subject, especially with the modification of the subject content.
Bobboyi said following the directive by the Minister of Education for History to be restored as a subject in schools, the Commission and NERD), went to work, saying he was glad that the task had been accomplished with the eventual flag-off of the teaching of History in schools on Thursday.
The Sultan of Sokoto said Nigeria, as a country, was still evolving and striving to achieve nationhood, adding that the rich history of the country’s diverse constituents could be explored and exploited to serve as an effective tool for nation-building.
He appealed to traditional rulers as custodians of the nation’s rich culture, traditions and values, and indeed, all Nigerians to support the bold step taken by the government and given effect by the Universal Basic Education Commission to return the teaching of history.
“We owe it a duty to encourage research for the documentation of the history of our people and should be forthcoming in granting access to historical records in our custody,” he said.
