Nigerian schools using 30 years old curriculum, NBTE laments

National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has said the current curriculum used by tertiary institutions were obsolete and not in tune with present reality.

Executive Secretary, NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje, stated this at the public presentation of the new and reviewed National Diploma (ND), Higher National Diploma (HND) curricula NOS and ODFeL in Abuja.

Noting that the nation cannot afford to continue teaching students with such a curriculum, he said building infrastructure in higher institutions, especially polytechnics without relevant curricula is ‘like having a good and well-decorated body but without a soul’.

“Some of the already reviewed curricula were more than 30 years old and the nation cannot continue to use obsolete curricula to teach our students and as I speak there are many more 20th Curricula awaiting review.

“We, therefore, require, more than ever before your continuous support in ensuring proper funding to be able to discharge this very important task”, he stated.

Bugaje noted that with the development of over 60 new and reviewed curricula, National Occupational Standards (NOS) and Open, Distance and Flexible e-Learning (ODFeL) Courseware in Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET), employers will no longer need to retrain Nigerian graduates.

He said the new and reviewed curricula were long overdue as they would help to provide general guide me on to institutions in p the body of knowledge and skills while also addressing the employability problems in the country.

According to him, the number of developed regulatory instruments to be unveiled today represents just about 15 per cent of the total on offer.

He, therefore, called on the need for the board to keep developing and reviewing more in order to bring them to national and international standards

“The board has a combined total of over 350 curricula, NOS and ODFEL courseware in the Nigerian TVET system.

“The notable quality of these curricula is that they are industry-driven; developed and/or reviewed with the full participation of the Nigerian industries to address the employability problem that is often encountered by our diplomates upon graduation.

“The problem of employers of labour incurring additional cost to retrain our products in order to fit into their operation is hopefully being solved.

“The peculiar type of training that should be given to Polytechnic and Monotechnic students in line with the national objective of encouraging youths economic self-reliance, entrepreneurship as a programme has, more than ever before, become one of the key features of the reviewed curricula,” he said.

He listed some of the new and reviewed curricula as ND/HND in Petroleum and Gas Processing Engineering, Transport, planning and Management, Strategic Communication and Media studies, Water Sanitation and Hygiene and Organic Agricultural Technology.

He also listed Homeland Security, Articulated Vehicle Driving, Construction Equipment Operation and Traditional and Herbal Hygiene as part of the new and reviewed NOS for skill training.

Bugaje added that the National Council on Establishment (NCE) at its last meeting in Yola, approved the inclusion of some of these TVET courses into the schemes of service of the Federation, particularly the National Innovation Diploma (NID).

He said that this had made two African countries show interest in the quality of our system with Rwanda signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) while Morocco was also in line to do so.