Curriculum review sparks tension in FCT primary schools

What was intended as an effort to improve learning standards has instead stirred tension in primary schools across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following the introduction of a reviewed curriculum.

Ahmed Lukman, the organising secretary at the FCT LEA Teachers’ Forum disclosed to BusinessDay that the recently introduced a new primary school curriculum to replace the old one has caused conflicts in the FCT over implementation.

“While the reform aims to modernise education and equip pupils with practical skills, it has created several conflicting issues between the old and new systems.

“These conflicts concern subject load, implementation readiness, infrastructure, teacher capacity, and policy execution,” Lukman said.

Similarly, Abdulsalam Haruna, a teacher in Abuja, emphasised that a major conflict noticed is the subject load and focus.

“The old curriculum required pupils to study up to 20 subjects, which made learning broad but shallow.

“The new curriculum reduces subjects to about 8 to 9, emphasising core areas such as English, Mathematics, Basic Science, Nigerian languages, and introducing digital literacy and pre-vocational studies,” he noted.

However, while this promotes depth, parents and teachers worry that some subjects are being sidelined.

Besides, there is the issue of implementation readiness. According to the teachers, many educators were familiar with the old curriculum, but the new one demands modern teaching methods and new materials.

“Many teachers have not received adequate training, especially for subjects like digital literacy and reintroduced History. This creates a gap between policy and practice,” Lukman said.

Moreover, he disclosed that implementation of the new curriculum is clogged by the problem of infrastructure and resources.

“The old curriculum could be taught with minimal facilities, but the new one requires ICT labs, vocational workshops, and updated textbooks. Many public schools in the FCT lack these resources, leading to uneven implementation between urban and rural schools.

“To worsen the matter, FCT primary schools taught pupils with the old scheme in the first term of 2025/2026 academic session, however the pupils were given examinations based on the new scheme which is nowhere to be found in the public primary schools as there is yet to be any official communication from the concerned authorities,” he emphasised.

There is however, another conflict in teacher workload and capacity, as highlighted by the leaders of the FCT LEA Teachers’ Forum.

They reiterated that teachers are already struggling with large class sizes and limited support. Hence, the new curriculum is seen as an added responsibility with subjects such as teaching trade and digital skills without increasing staff numbers or incentives.

This, they say, has worsened teacher dissatisfaction, contributing to strikes and instability.

In the face of these challenges, there is also tension between policy and practice.

“The government presents the new curriculum as modern and skill-based, but there are concerns that it was introduced too quickly, without pilot testing or wide consultation.

“As a result, stakeholders feel excluded, and the transition remains uneven. While the new curriculum holds promise for modern, skill-based learning, its success will depend on proper funding, teacher training, and gradual, well – planned implementation,” Lukman stressed.

Charles Ogwo is a proactive journalist, driving education, and business innovations for over 10 years.

He leads initiatives leveraging tech to enhance storytelling and build topnotch performing team.

Charles is passionate about harnessing technology to inform, engage and empower communities.

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