“CRK Has Not Been Removed, It Is Still Part of Curriculum As Distinct Subject” – NERDC Finally Break Silence

President Buhari with students of Samuel Ogbemudia College shortly after commissioning the School as part of his visit to Edo State on 7th Nov 2016 (Photo by Bayo Omoboriowo)

The National Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) says that Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) is still being taught in schools as a separate distinct subject with the accompanying Teachers’ Guide.

Contrary to earlier reports of the removal of CRK from the Curriculum, Prof. Ismail Junaidu, Executive Secretary, NERDC, who made this known in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Tuesday, said:

The Management of NERDC hereby reiterates categorically and unequivocally to all Nigerians that the subject offerings (Civic Education, Social Studies, Christian Religious Knowledge, Islamic Studies and Security Education) under the Religion and National Values Curriculum are distinct.

The subjects are as listed and taught separately on the timetable. In this Curriculum, no child should be coerced or compelled to learn or be taught in school any religious studies subject but only one (out of the two) that restrictively relates to the belief system professed by the child and his/her parents.

Clarifying further, he added “that CRK is not a theme in Civic Education. Civic Education is a distinct subject on its own which teaches the rudiments of good citizenship.”