Less than 70,000 candidates write History in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) yearly, as against the almost one million who register for Government. Experts are urging the Federal Government to bridge the gap in the study of Nigerian History in schools.
Who is Obafemi Awolowo? Our correspondent asked Friday Aaron, an SS1 pupil of Diary Farm Senior Secondary School, Agege on the outskirts of Lagos. “I think he is the first president of Nigeria,” he replied. What of Nnamdi Azikiwe? “I don’t know, o!” he said.
Friday represents the average secondary school pupil, who knows little of Nigeria’s history. The Nation quizzed some children between the ages of 11 and 19 to appraise how much of Nigeria’s history they know.
Celestine Chiemerie, a JSS3 pupil in one of the secondary schools in Anambra State, remembered the late South African legend, Nelson Mandela, but she remained blank when asked if she knew Nigeria’s first President Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe.
Some other pupils confessed that they had not heard the name of any pre-independence or post-independence political parties.
This has become a source of concern for some academics, teachers and parents, who lament the low level of knowledge of Nigerian History by the youth. They attribute it to many factors, especially the levity with which the subject is handled in the education system at all levels.
There is even a belief that the subject has been expunged from the national curriculum. But it is not so. The Nation confirmed from the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), which handles curriculum matters, that history is still being taught at the senior secondary level and tested by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) in the Senior School Certificate Examination. Some elements of History is also being taught in Civic Education and Social Studies at the primary and junior secondary levels. However, many advocates of history have described this as inadequate.
In the United States, History is compulsory, from elementary to second year of college. In the United Kingdom, the subject is compulsory up to secondary school level. In Nigeria, the 138 students who successfully underwent the United States Pathway Programme (USPP) at Kaplan College, Yaba, courtesy of the office of the Special Adviser to the Niger Delta, had to study American History before transferring to American universities last month. Also, Nigerian schools that implement the British curriculum, teach British History to pupils sitting for the IGCSE.
The British practice used to be the case in Nigeria in the 80s said Prof Siyan Oyeweso, a professor of History at the Osun State University, because the government placed premium on History as a subject.
He said: “History used to be a very fascinating subject to both primary and secondary schools’ pupils in Nigeria in the immediate post-independence era up to the 1980s. Also, history was a course of first choice for many students of Teachers’ Training Colleges, Colleges of Education and Universities during this period. This was because of the nationalist themes that had been incorporated into its syllabi from the 1950s when the nation was preparing for independence.
“Even after independence in 1960, Nigerian governments still gave formal recognitions to the role of history in national development by not only making the subject compulsory in primary and secondary schools but also by establishing and funding historical research schemes such as Yoruba Historical Research Scheme established by Chief Awolowo’s government of Western Region in 1955.”
Principal of Sani Dingyadi Unity Secondary School, Sokoto, and one time History teacher, Abubakar Marafa, remembers enjoying history as a subject in his secondary school days.
“If I will recall our days in secondary school, we started history at Form 1 to 4. We were studying History concurrently with Government. We had many history books and students were interested and wanted to read and know much about history of the country and beyond. Today, many schools, students and pupils have lost their historical identities, origin and developmental backgrounds,” he lamented.
What the curriculum covers
At the senior secondary level, SS1-SS3 pupils learn History under 17 broad themes covered by the curriculum. These themes include: historiography and historical skeels, Pre-Colonial Nigeria 1, Nigeria in the 19th century, British Rule and Nigerian Reaction (1900-1914), Nigeria since independence, Military intervention in governance, post civil war Nigeria, Africa and the wider world, History and global issues among others.
In the Civic Education curriculum for JSS1-JSS3 classes, pupils learn such themes as: Citizenship, National consciousness and national identity, human rights and rule of law, Nigerian constitution, national values, and democracy. In Social Studies, they learn socialization, people and their environment, culture, social issues and problems, communication, family, national economy and world issues, which may infuse elements of history. But many academics are not satisfied with such content.
Influence of policy
In interviews with The Nation, many respondents lamented the inadequacy of history taught in schools. They blamed it on frequent changes in government policy.
Marafa, Principal of Sani Dingyadi Unity School, Sokoto, said government’s inconsistent policy gave rise to students classifying History as optional.
“This summersault has today impacted negatively with consequential regrets in our quest for development, social justice and unity as a nation,” he said.
A Professor of Social Studies Education at the University of Ilorin, Mrs Alice Arinlade Jekayinfa, also criticized the government for making History an elective to be chosen instead of Government.
She said, “Rather than make the study of History, especially as it concerns the history of the country, compulsory, the Nigerian government has chosen to make it an elective subject alongside Government in the Senior Secondary School level.”
A teacher who teaches in Calabar and does not want to be named, attributed the government’s attitude to History to a lack of interest.
“I think it is a lack of interest,” said a source who teaches in Calabar, “especially from the angle of the government which does not see it as important. If there was interest there would be teachers and more students. Have you ever seen any serious school say they don’t have an English teacher? That is because there is strong interest in the subject hence there will always be a teacher. Many see it as not important, but there is nothing that could be more wrong. In fact I think it is the most important thing because if you don’t know where you are coming from as a country, how can you learn from past mistakes to know where you are going into the future?”
Performance in WASSCE
That History has been relegated to the background in favour of Government Enrolment can be easily deduced from the entry and performance statistics in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Between 2007 and 2012, the number of candidates that sat for History in the examination fluctuated between 47,520 and 57,543 (recorded in 2012). The best performance in the period, 38.24 per cent, was recorded in 2012.
In contrast, between 760,488 and 975,166 wrote Government, with the best performance of 68.10 per cent recorded in 2011.
Lack of interest by students?
Can the apathy for History be attributed to lack of interest in the subject by learners?
In Anambra, Rivers, Ondo, and many states across the country, few secondary schools offer History.
Many teachers interviewed by The Nation complained that students seem uninterested in taking History as a subject.
Some of teachers of the subject said many pupils show apathy, resulting in poor attendance.
Mr. Charles Omereji, a History teacher in Rumuakani Secondary school, Obio/Akpr local government of Rivers State, faulted pupils claim, and wondering how many among them are interested in the subject.
Omereji said: “Only few students are interested in joining the History class. The rest just wanted it for fun or to use it to complete their subjects. To be frank many students in this part of the country are not ready to learn History.
“The funny part of it is that they don’t respect the subject and in the same manner they don’t respect the teacher. They feel the subject is not important to them. Most of the time when History class is on, they jump out of the class without permission.”
On enquiries at Saint John of God’s Handmaids in Amansea, a secondary school in Awka, a pupil, Augustina Okafor, told our reporter that interest in History has waned because pupils see it as a difficult subject compared to Government.
Besides, 13 year-old Uchenna Okonkwo bewailed how difficult it has been recruiting teachers to teach the subject, leading to loss of interest by pupils.
Master Jideofor Obidiegwu an SS1 pupil of Greatness Academy, Port Harcourt lamented to our reporter how non-inclusion of History is already swaying his future ambition.
“My Daddy tells me that the late Dim Odimegwu Ojukwu (the Biafrian warlord who started the civil war) studied History. I would have liked to study History, to be a great and strong man like him because of the way my Daddy always talks about him. But I cannot do that now because I have not been taught History since I started going to school. I am now in Commercial class hoping to become an Accountant in future.”
However, another History teacher in Aluu Community Secondary School Mr. John Ndukwe, said parental orientation is chiefly a factor pupils fail to understand the importance of learning History as a subject.
“All you see our parent talk about is that my children will be a lawyer, medical doctor, accountant, and scientist, and nobody will say my son or daughter will be a Historian. But I believe that the more parents and the society understand the important of History, the more the children will inculcate it.
On the other hand, pupils are placing the fault at teachers’ doorstep for failing to make the subject attractive.
They called on the government to re-train History teachers to teach the subject in line with 21st century teaching techniques.
Chinyere Amadi, a History pupil schooling in Port Harcourt, said teachers are the problem
“Our teachers are the ones making things difficult for us, they should teach us well. I think there is a way somebody will teach a subject and students will enjoy it and many people will like to enter the class,” she said.
Another pupil of History, Ubima Onyemuche Ibe of Community Secondary School, in Port Harcourt, said her peers describe history students as lazy, noting that teachers have done little or nothing in the face of such reproach.
She said: “Teachers need to work harder because students are yet to be convinced to appreciate the importance of the subject. Most importantly, our parents don’t encourage us to study History.”
The Principal of a private school Yandutse College Kano Mr Nsikan Ntah, said students’ love for History may have ebbed owing to the subject complexity which makes it intellectually tasking.
“Actually, my school is not offering History as a subject. Like in my secondary school days in the 80s, most students prefer to study Government as a subject. Most especially, when the students realised that History and Government couldn’t be offered at the same time because they are two related subjects. This development made it possible for students to prefer Government to History because many students complained that History is complex – full of dates and events; so it requires students to study even harder if they must excel in it.
“Based on these reasons, History started declining and students patronise Government; increasing enrolment figure of students studying Political Science to the detriment of those studying History in universities. This trend contributed to the scarcity of qualified History teachers.
History at tertiary level
Few universities still offer History alone. It has become a trend to offer it with other components like: Diplomacy, Strategic Studies, and International Relations to boost enrolment.
At the University of Calabar, which offers History and International Relations, our reporter gathered that not many applied to the department when it was merely History.
A lecturer in the department who did not want to be named said: “A very negligible number of students actually applied to study in this department when it was just History. Then, a bulk of the students were those who could not get admission to study Law or even English. But as soon as the International Relations was added to it, there had been an influx of students wanting to come into the department. Even those here tend to slant towards the International Relations aspect of the course than the History.”
The situatiomn is similar at the University of Lagos which has a department of History and Strategic Studies. Dr Michael Ogbeidi said the university is able to fill its students’ quota but is restricted by the carrying capacity given by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
“We do not have issues with enrolment here. It is the NUC that gives us issues. At any given time, we get at least 300 students seeking admission but the NUC will tell us not to admit more than 70 or 90.
At the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, what is offered is History combined with International Relations, while the course is not offered at its sister institution, Anambra State University ANSU.
The Public Relations Officer of the University of Port Harcourt Dr Williams Wodi, also confirmed that to win back many ‘lost sheep’ and make the discipline again attractive to prospective students, History is now merged with Diplomatic Studies.”
The Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) offer History. However, only few students offer the course. One of them, Adekunle Badmus, described the department as a dumping ground because majority of the students do not pick the course as their first choice.
Patronage of History at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto and the University of Sokoto “is nothing to take stock of,” said a lecturer who pleaded anonymity.
“Not many students apply to study History like other courses,” the source said.
A student of History at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Abubakar Bawa .
“This is affecting not only the broad knowledge of the history of the nation, but the basic knowledge of our history among pupils.
“UDUS has a History department including lecturers but patronage has to be managed because most candidates don’t apply for it.
“Like in our own case, the school authorities have to draw from applicants to other courses to make for the department,” he said.
Lack of history teachers
“Does such a subject like History still exist in schools today?” this was a question a history teacher was asked at the Cross River State Ministry of Education.
Recounting the incident, a teacher who teaches in a public secondary school in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of the state, said the question was directed at the History teacher in his school.
Odey, as he is called, said: “Even people in the Ministry of Education are surprised History still exists in schools. At a time, about four of us received queries and we had to go the Ministry of Education to answer to a panel. When the History teacher stood up to answer for himself, one of those in the panel was surprised and asked him if there was such a subject still in existence.
“As a teacher I must say that History as a subject is gradually going into extinction. In my school, we have only one teacher who teaches SS1- SS3 pupils. In the last SSCE only four candidates wrote the subject.”
Another teacher, simply called Bob, from Government Secondary School in Bakassi local government area, said his school has had no History teacher for two years.
Bob said: “There has been no History teacher in our school for almost two years now. The teacher we had got a job somewhere else and since then there has been no replacement. I feel maybe they believe it is not important otherwise I don’t see how in almost two years they cannot shop for a replacement for the teacher since he left.
“At present, no student in the school studies History. During the last WASSCE, about five or six candidates wrote the subject, but they just came and registered in the school. Even when the teacher was here, only two students in SS3 were offering the subject. I know that if it was for a subject like Mathematics or Physics, they would have gotten a replacement already. But like I said I don’t think they think it is that important.”
In Ondo State, a male teacher at Igbara-Oke High School, who spoke in confidence, hinged the low entries for the subject to fewer teachers of History now available in secondary schools. More worrisome, the source regretted, is that many private schools don’t even consider having History teacher.
He said: “I don’t know the reason for this, there are even some History teachers, who operate in two to three schools but I think this is due to dearth of History teachers.
“Students are not encouraged because there is no one to motivate them. You can get WAEC registered list, you will discover that only few students registered for History; and due to the fact that they do not have pre-knowledge of the course, how do you expect them to have an interest in studying the course at tertiary level?”
In Kano, checks revealed that pupils dropped History largely due to lack of teachers in the state.
Ironically, the few teachers of History did not study the subject at undergraduate level. Principal, Government Girls Arabic Senior Secondary Day School in Kawaji, Kano State, Hajiya Hadiza Bayero, said plenty of quacks now claim to be teachers of History.
“I have no option than to drop History as a subject in my school. I did it not because I do not want the students to have knowledge of history of their own country, but because all my efforts to employ qualified History teachers proved abortive.
“It is not that the History subject is not in the national curriculum, but the frustration most school like mine are experiencing today is because there are no qualified teachers to teach History; and as such, there is no option rather than to drop it and embrace Government which to a great extent imbibes the country’s History.”
Principal of Sani Dingyadi Unity Secondary School, Abubakar Marafa, said the infiltration of political science into History has also pushed the subject out of the way.
“Political scientists have taken over history in most schools, universities, colleges of education. I know of some political science graduates that teach History without its basic knowledge and they end up impacting knowledge of Government in students,” he said.
Implications for Nigeria
Many academics have attributed Nigeria’s failure to grow despite her potential to neglecting lessons from the past.
A Professor of Social Studies Education at the University of Ilorin, Mrs Alice Arinlade Jekayinfa, has said that the relegation of the subject is one of the root causes of the social and political problems currently plaguing the country.
Prof Jekayinfa, who made this assertion while delivering the 148th Inaugural Lecture of the university last Thursday, pointed out that History is important to all aspects of human life.
In the lecture, entitled “Essential Education beyond Relegation,” the don explained that: “Without a sound understanding of the past, we would find it difficult to fathom how the present challenges evolved and how we might be able to devise solutions to them.
“It is not possible for us as Nigerians to have a proper grasp of the nature of religious and communal clashes, riots, conflicts and violence going on in the country today without understanding our primordial religious, cultural and colonial past, what we were before the arrival of Islam, the colonial masters and Christian missions, and what we became during and after the Islamic, Colonial, Christian, and post-colonial eras. This is what History will give us. History, an essential education, has been relegated and the country is suffering for it.”
In addition to being a conveyor of a society’s morals and values, Prof Jekayinfa said History instills a sense of patriotism and nationalism in citizens which Nigerians lack today.
“How are our children supposed to internalise the values of integrity, tolerance and hard work, which are celebrated in the history of our various peoples but which are totally lacking in our public service today?” the scholar asked.
Prof Stella Okunna of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka also believes children’s poor knowledge of History will definitely affect their patriotism to their fatherland.
Prof Okunnas who was one the discussants at the 2nd International Conference on Democracy and Good Governance held in Port Harcourt, lamented that the situation has robbed young Nigerians of the opportunity of knowing their past and inadvertently making them not proud of the struggles the country has passed through to get to where she currently is.
A historian and journalist, Mr Bassey Inyang said Nigeria is paying dearly for not studying history because she cannot learn from past mistakes.
“For example we have had civil war in the past, but unfortunately I can say that not much has been learnt historically from that war. What we keep recalling is the pains of the war. We continue trading arguments as to who was at fault or not without actually getting to learn that a civil war cannot do us any good. We have also not learnt the lesson to get to tell ourselves that never again should we allow this to happen.
“What about the technological aspects of the war? I mean people survived in the midst of hardship, being able to invent their local weapons, refine petroleum products and so on from just virtually nothing. Now where have we kept all these things? Because we feel history is nothing so we never bothered. We fail to assemble these artefacts and get to use them in the post war years of Nigeria. That is one of the reason why I think technologically we are where we are.”
What should be the place of History in schools?
Many academics want History to be compulsory from primary to tertiary levels.
Prof Rufus Taiwo Akinyele, a professor of history at the University of Lagos said History should be made attractive from the primary level.
“Go back and start from primary schools. You can refashion the curriculum in a way that it will be interesting. You can also change the methodology to encourage students to follow history,” he said.
Director of the Sokoto State History and Cultural Bureau, Muhammad Bello Idris said for Nigeria to redeem her glory, History should not only be taught at the basic level, but be made compulsory in schools.
