A university don, Prof. Sheriff Folarin, has applauded the Federal Government for the reintroduction of History into the curriculum for primary and secondary school education in the country.
Folarin, a professor of Political Science at the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, spoke to our correspondent against the backdrop of the recent approval of the subject by the National Council on Education.
The NCE had held a meeting last week in Kano, where it agreed that History should be re-introduced into the curriculum.
The university don described the re-introduction of History as a subject in schools across the country as a welcome development and an action that was long overdue.
He added that the moment the government took History out of the nation’s school curriculum, the country’s nation-building process was short-circuited, resulting in stunted growth in terms of capacity building in all aspects of national life.
Folarin said, “The restoration of history is a welcome development and it is long overdue. The moment we took history out of our school curriculum, nation building ended in our country. It was the beginning of our cyclic motion of slow and retarded growth.
“We didn’t know our left from right because there was no historical knowledge to provide a national and developmental compass. History is good for any responsible and forward-looking society. It is good for development planning.
“History provides inspiration for a nation, positions the school children for leadership in the future and also gives them the understanding of their heritage. It serves as a root for national pride and patriotism. So, I commend the government on this directive.”
