The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN has reacted to the
collapse of Christian Religious of Knowledge, CRK, 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, 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.