As the controversy over the removal of Christian Religious Knowledge from the school curriculum continues, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN has reacted over the collapse of the subject as part of an omnibus subject called the Religion and National Values.
Speaking after an emergency meeting held in Lagos, PFN President, Dr. Felix Omobude said the body was concerned at the contention and controversy over the revised Basic Education Curriculum.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, Omobude said, “We note the explanation by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) on some of the issues raised.
“However, the PFN maintains that whatever the case, there is really no need nor is there any justification for the needless confusion and uncertainty the NERDC has created which has opened up the implementation of the curriculum to the whims and caprices people with vested interests who want to impose their religious preferences on students.
“The PFN calls for an immediate reversal of the change of curriculum so that Christian Religious Studies can stand on its own as a separate subject just as it has always been.
“Collapsing CRK as only a part of Religion and National Values forecloses the opportunity of the subject being studied at the tertiary level by students who might so desire and this is unacceptable to us.
“On the question of the compulsory study of Foreign languages, as the curriculum has laid out, the PFN urges that the window be opened up to more languages beyond French and Arabic to accommodate other languages such as Spanish, etc. so that our children can enjoy greater flexibility in foreign language study and not be compelled to study a language they have no interest in, as it’s being reported in some states.
“We are aware of orchestrated plans to subtly use this policy as a means of forceful religious indoctrination and we maintain our stand against it,” Omobude said.
