By Emem Julius
CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – Virtuous College Calabar, Cross River State has applauded the decision of the Federal Government for reinstating History in the school curriculum, adding that this decisive move would promote patriotism and national unity among students, providing them with a deeper understanding of the country’s history and struggles.
This follows the Federal Government announcement of the reintroduction of Nigerian History as a compulsory subject from primary to senior secondary school, 16 years after it was removed from the curriculum in 2009, under the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua administration.
Speaking during the College’s Old Boys Day celebration on Wednesday in Calabar, School Principal, Anietie Amos, described the FG’s initiative as timely and significant, stressing that the introduction of history as a subject in the school curriculum will help students understand Nigeria’s rich past and cultural heritage.
He said, “I give kudos to the Federal Government for bringing back History in the school curriculum. This move is very timely and highly significant. It is a step in the right direction, as it will help students understand Nigeria’s rich past and cultural heritage.
“The decision is a crucial step towards preserving Nigeria’s cultural identity. It will help our students to gain valuable insights into the country’s past events, including the lives of the founding fathers and significant events that shaped the nation”, Amos added.
He further stated that the Old School Day was celebrated to appreciate the FG’s decision to reintroduce history and other relevant subjects in the school curriculum.
“Today was Old School Day. We celebrated this old school day in line with the new development in the school curriculum in Nigeria, the introduction of history and other important subjects. Definitely, the coming of history back to school will go a long way and will make us stand tall because it will let the students know the past, and from the past they can keep their differences to move ahead and unite together as one. So I see this on the part of the government as a good development”, he explained.
He hailed that State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Stephen Odey, adding that the reforms and policies in the education sector in the state in line with the People’s First Agenda of Governor Bassey Otu will boost productivity
The School Administrator and Head of Secretariat, Alice Clement, urged parents and guardians to support the federal government’s decision, adding that history as a subject will build the children and the next generation.
“We are happy to have history back. In some schools, especially private schools back in the days, they never saw history as a very important subject. We encourage all parents to embrace this because it will actually teach the children what used to happen back in the day. A lot of children do not know what used to happen back then. But, this subject will help them grow bigger in past events, ” she said.
