By Gloria Irabor
The Proprietress of Glisten International Academy and former president, FCT chapter of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Mrs. Samira Jibir, has called on government to look into the possibility of general review of the existing primary and secondary schools’ curriculum to bridge the gap between what is available and the expected standard of ensuring that children inculcate the right behaviour and attitude towards learning.
She stated that an effective curriculum should include all the factors that can enhance the learning abilities of individual children and the efficiency of teachers in thedischarge of their duties instead of the available curriculum that is synomous to examination and has more emphasis on passing examination.
In her words, “We should encourage sensitivity to effective curriculum to be able to tackle the problems associated with children’s learning abilities. The interest of children and good education must incorporate teaching and learning methods involving tolerance among children, respect for one another, team work, identification of skills inherent in individual children, individual learning pattern and pace, especially if the child has learning disabilities of various levels”
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She stressed that the process of a reviewed curriculum should involve identification of the lapses and issues that affect teaching and learning and ensure that they are well handled, corrected and incorporated in the reviewed curriculum, adding that it should revolve round the several areas a child can be handled beside formal approach to teaching and learning.
Mrs. Jabir stated that NAPPS cares about the interest of children and the overallobjective of education, collaborates with the department of quality assurance of the ministry of education at ensuring that any school that breaches the mode of operation is rightly handled.
“We strive to identify the areas of needs and issues that affect the academics and social wellbeing of children and we have strategies in place aimed at ensuring maintenance of standard, this is aimed at encouraging schools under NAPPS to work more closely with us for effective discharge of their duties.
“Speaking further she advised parents not to be negligent or over protective of their children but ensure schools are aware of the unique problem of individual childrenand where necessary inform NAPPS about lapses in the schools of their children to enable prompt response to the issues.