No, the curriculum is not outdated...

No Nigerian Lecturer has the moral right to complain that “our curriculum” is outdated…shame on you if you do.

Dear University Lecturer, permit me to explain…my explanation is limited to the Nigerian University System (NUS).

Recently, the regulator of the NUS – National Universities Commission (NUC) – implemented the Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS), which broadly stipulates 70% of what should be taught and allows each University to stipulate (design, develop, teach) 30% of the curriculum. So, as of now, if you still complain about outdated curriculum, you are a hypocrite. A bad one.

Someone might retort that that is a recent development. Permit me to go back a little.

Before now, what used to hold sway was the Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) which stipulated 100% of what is to be taught but allows (permits) Universities to add to it as they deem fit. This is why Covenant University, Ota has the Total Man programme, while Bowen University, Iwo has the GEL (Godliness, Excellence, and Leadership) programme etc.

Do you recall that BMAS stipulates a 5-year term for the curriculum. So, the curriculum is to be revised, reviewed, updated in five years. We can talk about the length of the review period in another conversation. So, if you do not review your curriculum in five years, whose fault is it?

Finally, the “outdated curriculum” only stipulates the topics to be taught, it is the Lecturer that has responsibility to teach.

Two examples, one from my personal experience and one from another field.

In Library Studies, we have “Use of Library” as a General course. In the past, a Lecturer who takes this course will talk about the Library as a physical space, the use of catalogue etc. But now, even with the old curriculum, it is the Lecturer’s responsibility to talk about digital library space. Should the Lecturer wait for the Government to change the curriculum to teach the use of the digital library?

An issue that will come up is that of capacity development…the Lecturer does not have capacity to teach modern trends. I ask, have you submitted a personal development plan request to your higher ups which was refused? We want it served on a platter without taking any action? Haba!

When I was teaching financial accounting, specifically “issue of shares”, most textbooks including by Nigerian authors have this topic not in sync with Nigerian realities e.g., payment for shares in instalments. However, in the last 20 years, most, if not all Nigerian companies raised capital with ‘payment for shares in full’. When I started taking the course, I had to explain to the students that ‘payment in instalments’ used to obtain and still obtains in other jurisdictions, but in Nigeria as of that time, it is ‘payment in full’ and I taught it that way. My students had a balanced view of historical and other perspectives as well as current realities. I could also say that the curriculum is outdated, but I chose to be better.

Dear University Lecturer, stop joining others to mock your Castle. If the curriculum is outdated, what are you doing about it?

Another issue is that of infrastructure, which is significant. In my case (as well as most management sciences, social sciences, humanities) it is much easier, the Lecturer most importantly will develop capacity. But in other areas, especially pure sciences that require new equipment and technologies, which are quite expensive for personal pockets, the case is slightly different and the challenges are real. For example, energy to keep specimens safe, internet access, digital access to resources etc. It is therefore safe to separate the issues of infrastructural development from the curriculum.

I have ‘plenty’ to talk, but I stop here and challenge you…find current realities and teach it to your students…