THE Rivers State Ministry of Education has commenced the domestication of the new nine-year Revised Basic Education Curriculum, BEC. The state kick-started the implementation of the revised BEC with a two-day sensitization program for teachers, head teachers, principals of junior secondary schools and education secretaries in the 23 local government areas of the state, at the Model Girls Secondary School, Rumueme, Port Harcourt. The workshop was organised by the Rivers State Ministry of Education to intimate the school managers on how to implement the revised curriculum.

The Commissioner for Education, Rivers State, Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi while declaring the workshop open, said that the implementation of  the revised BEC is crucial to education development in the state. The Commissioner stated that the new basic curriculum will serve as a driving force for achieving the development of human capital needed to make the country one of the 20 biggest economy in the world.

The Commissioner, represented by the Permanent Secretary Rivers State Ministry of Education, Minabelem Michael West directed the school manager to start the implementation of the curriculum in all schools in the State. Lawrence-Nemi also said that the immediate implementation of the BEC is a practical demonstration of the government’s commitment to education development in Rivers State.

Basic education curriculum

‘’The new basic education curriculum will serve as the driving force in achieving the development of human capital, which will empower Nigerians to make the country one of the biggest 20 economies in the world. Ladies and Gentlemen, the content of the revised BEC has been reduced without compromising quality to make it readily teachable and learnable as well as minimize confusion. It reflects continuity from one sub-theme and topic to the other to help the teacher and pupils and students connect and relate previous and presently taught lessons. Also the revised BEC makes teaching and learning learner-centred, activity based and relevant’’, she said.

The Rivers State Commissioner for Education hinted that the State Government has provided an enabling environment for a conducive teaching and learning for pupils and teachers. Nemi stated that state-of-art-facilities at the model schools is a testimony of the State Government’s determination to give the students the best form of education so as to compete favourably with their peers around the world.

‘’However, the State Government has already provided an enabling environment for such a conducive teaching and learning experience for both teachers, pupils and students in the State. The State-of -the-Art facilities in our model schools is a testimony of our determination to train our children to compete favourable with their peers around the world. Our new 20-class blocks has demonstrated our resolution, to make learning fun for our children.

Also the inclusion of vocational studies in the revised BEC shows that the setting up the Port Harcourt Technical/Vocational centre will be an added advantage in the implementation of the new BEC’’, she stated. Earlier, the Executive Director, Rivers State Education Quality Assurance Agency, Prof. Okorosaye Orubite said the implementation of the new curriculum will start with primary 1 and junior secondary one JS1.

He noted that pupils and students in primary 2-6 and junior secondary 2-3 will continue with the old curriculum. Prof. Orubite said that the Commissioner for Education Rivers State, Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi mandated the agency to organised the two-day sensitization workshop to intimate the teachers, head teachers of, principals of Junior Secondary School, Education Secretaries in all the 23 local government areas on the revised curriculum so as to tickle that into the classroom.

He stated that the samples of the curricula are available and will be distributed immediately after the two-day workshop for immediate implementation of the new curriculum across the State. Prof. Orubite reiterated the State Government’s determination to in providing qualitative education.

The Chairman, Rivers State Universal Education Board SUBEB, Sir Ali Oruitemeka tasked the participants to show proper interest through-out the two day workshop.