Education stakeholders have renewed calls for the Federal Government to review Nigeria’s basic education curriculum and strengthen quality assurance measures to ensure pupils receive education that meets global standards.
The call was made during the 10th anniversary and graduation ceremony of Epitome Schools, Lagos, themed “A Decade of Impact: Transforming Destinies and Raising Future Leaders.”
Speaking at the event, the school’s Director, Mrs Bunmi Salami, said Nigeria’s basic education curriculum has remained largely unchanged for decades and requires urgent reforms to reflect the demands of 21st-century learning.
According to her, failing to modernise the curriculum would continue to place Nigerian pupils at a disadvantage compared to their peers in other parts of the world.
Salami urged the government to benchmark the country’s basic education curriculum against international best practices to better prepare learners for global opportunities.
She also called for stronger quality assurance by ensuring that schools undergo thorough inspections before receiving accreditation or approval to operate.
According to her, government agencies should assess learning environments, teaching quality and instructional methods to ensure schools meet approved standards.
“Before a school can be accredited or given approval, officials need to go and check. The government needs to enhance or modify the scheme so that this part of the world can meet global standards,” she said.
Salami further advocated greater emphasis on practical and activity-based learning for nursery and primary school pupils, saying such an approach would help children develop critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills from an early age.
She noted that Epitome Schools has already integrated coding, robotics and interactive boards into classroom teaching to expose pupils to modern learning tools.
The school director added that curriculum reforms must be backed by effective implementation and continuous monitoring across both public and private schools to ensure meaningful learning outcomes.
Also speaking, the School Consultant and Trainer at Havila Educonsult, Mrs Philippa Okonji, said meaningful reforms in basic education would require increased government investment and stronger oversight of the education sector.
She stressed that education should not be left solely in the hands of private operators, urging authorities to prioritise funding for schools and teachers responsible for preparing Nigeria’s future workforce.
Okonji warned that inadequate investment in basic education could negatively affect the country’s long-term development.
She noted that today’s nursery and primary school pupils would become tomorrow’s leaders, policymakers and professionals, adding that the quality of education they receive now would shape Nigeria’s future.
Stakeholders at the event also commended parents and teachers for supporting the school’s growth over the past decade and encouraged the graduating pupils to remain disciplined, focused and committed to the values of hard work and leadership as they transition to secondary school.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.