AS A NEW SCHOOL SESSION BEGINS…
Schools in the country welcomed their students into the new 2025/2026 academic session this week.
Many schools have been carrying out significant maintenance work on their facilities in preparation for the new school term/session, such as re-painting, constructing additional classroom blocks, renovating or renewing classroom furniture, improving their fading or worn-out school banners or signposts, as well as engaging in publicity activities, admitting new pupils/students and advertising vacancies for new staff.
Schoolteachers, on their own part,have also been preparing for the new school year. While some of them used the holiday period to relax, others busied themselves with summer lessons, while still others used the opportunity to search for better-paying teaching jobs, or schools with better working conditions.
The government also has not been left out in making plans for the new academic session. For example, in a statement issued on August 31, 2025, the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, said the Federal Government has completed a comprehensive review of the school curriculum for basic, secondary, and technical education in Nigeria, which will begin from the 2025/2026 academic session. She said that the new school curriculum is aimed at making Nigerian learners future-ready.
Under the revised structure, pupils in Primary 13 will study a minimum of nine and a maximum of 10 subjects; pupils in Primary 46 will take 10 to 12 subjects. Junior secondary students may offer 12 to 14 subjects, Senior secondary students will take eight to nine subjects, and technical schools will offer nine to 11 subjects. Under the new curriculum, Senior secondary students will study expanded subjects including programming, artificial intelligence, data science, and cybersecurity, alongside existing core subjects. Junior Secondary School (JSS 1) students will pick at least one trade subject to boost practical skills. According to a document developed by the Nigerian Education Research and Development Council (NERDC), the six practical skills available are Solar Photovoltaic installation and maintenance, Fashion design and garment making, Livestock farming, Beauty and cosmetology, Computer hardware and GSM repairs, Horticulture and Crop Production. The statement explained that the new framework balances subject offerings with more practical learning.
This is indeed a very welcome development! In a country like Nigeria where formal employment opportunities are limited, fostering entrepreneurial mindsets through the incorporation of vocational education and training into the school curriculum can ultimately serve to create a more self-sufficient workforce and reduce dependency on government jobs. Incorporating vocational subjects into our education curriculum helps to equip students with essential skills that can help them to become more creative, innovative, and practical-oriented in their learning and endeavours. After all, the Holy Scriptures itself states at Proverbs Chapter 22, Verse 6: Train a child in the way he should go; Even when he grows old he will not depart from it. These practical skills can help the youth to not only thrive in the job market but also emerge as employers of labour, thereby contributing to the reduction of the rate of unemployment and, in effect, poverty in Nigeria.
What is left to be anticipated now is that adequate preparations be put in place for this new education curriculum. These preparations can include putting proper structures and systems in place for its implementation, such as a comprehensive training of the teachers that are to implement this new curriculum, provision of learning materials, as well as the improvements to the vocational educational infrastructure. The government should also ensure that public schools as well as low-cost private schools are equipped with the tools, facilities, and teaching aids required for hands-on learning. It has also been suggested that shared vocational training hubs be established in local communities where multiple schools can access and share the equipment and workshops that are necessary for effective training.
There is also a need for the government to collaborate with the private sector. Vocational education necessitates stronger partnerships between schools and industries to ensure that students gain valuable real-world experience. Companies can provide internships, apprenticeships, and on-the-job training, thereby helping students transition smoothly from school to the workforce.
Daniel Ighakpe,
Wakefield International School, Unity Estate, Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos
