Does Curriculum Really Matter? (Part 1)

I saw a post recently on Facebook regarding the loss of culture, language, and African traditions, that really got me thinking about the challenges as it relates to education, specifically the Nigerian curriculum. I hope you read with interest and share your own opinion based on your own perception and experience. Let me know your thoughts..

I am a light skinned, mixed race woman raised in the UK but living in Nigeria and obviously, I work in education. Having been in Nigeria almost 9 years, and taking great pains to consider some of the issues in education, this is where I think some of the challenges are:

1. School owners run to 'cut and paste' the UK/US curriculum because the Nigerian curriculum is not robust enough - content is great but the learning is all about cramming, not necessarily understanding and application. However, what relevance does the Battle of Hastings have to the average Nigerian? What is the relevance of British History to Nigerian History?

2. The Nigerian curriculum does not prepare students to compete globally - cramming rather than applying knowledge. I have many first class graduates that have no common sense and who struggle to answer simple questions at interviews.

3. Education is about training a child to meet the needs of the society in which they are in - the Nigerian curriculum does not allow for that - it is designed to create either doctors, lawyers or engineers.

4. The ambitions of most parents need to move beyond doctor, lawyer and engineer - is that all that Nigeria has to offer globally?

5. Nigeria is a 'consumer' society dependent on Western imports rather than 'producing' products that are of high quality for export to the rest of the world. How can a country that is so rich in agriculture producing the sweetest tomatoes I have tasted, be importing tomato paste from the UK or Italy?

6. The corruption in Nigeria has some Nigerians 'shackled' in 'slave mentality' - the way Nigerians treat fellow Nigerians is one of the most painful observations I have made.

7. There is nothing wrong with speaking 'the Queen's English' if it helps you to compete in the global market, but holding on to Nigerian traditions is essential for identity and the self-worth of your children - the West is racist and if your children do not have a sense of pride in who they are, when they travel beyond Nigeria, they will be crippled by racism.

I share this as someone who has grown with many cultural challenges because my own black mother somewhat let go of her cultural heritage to embrace the culture of her white husband. It did not help me as a child growing in Western society where I experienced racism that I didn't understand - not ‘white enough’ to be white nor ‘black enough’ to be black.

I encourage all Nigerians to teach their children to have pride in their language and culture, whilst allowing them to have an understanding of Western ways of doing things in order to be globally competitive. It's all about finding balance.

Some of the comments I have made above might sound harsh, and perhaps a little judgmental, but what are your thoughts? Have I got it wrong? Part 2 is coming soon……

This is my humble submission. 🙏🏼