What was intended as an effort to improve learning standards has created tension in primary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following the introduction of the reviewed curriculum.
Organizing Secretary of the FCT LEA Teachers Forum, Ahmed Lukman, told BusinessDay that a new primary school curriculum has recently been introduced to replace the old one, which has led to conflict in the FCT over its implementation.
“Although the reform aims to modernize education and equip students with practical skills, it has created many conflicting issues between the old and new systems.
“These conflicts relate to subject load, preparation for implementation, infrastructure, teacher capacity and policy execution,” Lukman said.
Similarly, Abdulsalam Haruna, a teacher in Abuja, emphasized that a major struggle observed is subject load and focus.
“The old curriculum required students to study up to 20 subjects, making learning broad but shallow.
“The new curriculum has reduced the subjects to about 8 to 9 with emphasis on core areas such as English, mathematics, basic science, Nigerian languages and introduced digital literacy and pre-vocational studies,” he said.
Although this encourages depth, parents and teachers are concerned that some subjects are being sidelined.
Furthermore, there is also the issue of preparation for implementation. According to teachers, many teachers were familiar with the old curriculum, but the new curriculum demands modern teaching methods and new materials.
“Many teachers have not received adequate training, especially in subjects like digital literacy and reproducing history. This creates a gap between policy and practice,” Lukman said.
Furthermore, he revealed that the implementation of the new curriculum is hampered by infrastructure and resources problems.
“The old curriculum can be taught with minimal facilities, but the new curriculum requires ICT laboratories, vocational workshops and updated textbooks. Many public schools in the FCT lack these resources, leading to uneven implementation between urban and rural schools.
“To make matters worse, FCT primary schools taught pupils in the first session of the 2025/2026 academic session with the old scheme, even though the pupils were given examinations based on the new scheme which is nowhere to be found in public primary schools as there has been no official communication from the relevant authorities yet,” he stressed.
However, another conflict is the workload and capacity of teachers, as highlighted by leaders of the FCT LEA Teachers Forum.
He reiterated that teachers are already struggling with large class sizes and limited support. Therefore, the new curriculum is seen as an added responsibility with subjects such as teaching business and digital skills without increasing staff numbers or incentives.
He says that this has further increased the dissatisfaction of teachers, leading to strikes and instability.
There is also a tension between policy and practice in the face of these challenges.
“The government presents the new curriculum as modern and skills-based, but there are concerns that it was introduced too quickly without pilot testing or widespread consultation.
“As a result, stakeholders feel excluded, and the transition remains uneven. While the new curriculum promises modern, skills-based education, its success will depend on appropriate funding, teacher training and gradual, well-planned implementation,” Lukman stressed.
