The Federal Government has announced the implementation of a new curriculum for basic education across schools, set to begin in January 2025.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, disclosed at a stakeholders' meeting in Abuja on Monday, revealing that a revised curriculum for senior secondary education would also roll out by September 2025.
The updated curriculum introduces 15 new trade subjects, including basic digital literacy, information technology, and vocational skills such as building, construction, plumbing, and tiling, aiming to equip students with practical and entrepreneurial skills.
Others are hospitality; hair styling, make-up and services such as construction, GSM repairs, satellite and CCTV installation and maintenance and garment making, amongst others.
Mamman said the new skills acquisition to be introduced would have a multiplier effect by equipping students with 21st-century skills.
“In the last year, we have worked with stakeholders to develop a skills framework that will inject skills right from the latter part of basic education to secondary education. The whole idea is that, by the time children finish, they should have a minimum of two skills so that they can have a productive life”, he said.
The Minister said the meeting was conveyed to discuss the modality and as well tidy some aspects of the curriculum, while also giving a timeline for implementation, support, monitoring, and evaluation. He said the next three months would be used for the preparatory stage. including preparing teachers’ guides in using the curriculum.