Facts, fiction over CRK, IRK merger

By Amaka Abayomi & Elizabeth Uwandu

THE recent merger of the Christian Religious Knowledge, CRK, and Islamic Religious Knowledge, IRK, into Religion and National Values under the curriculum has continued to garner controversy, as stakeholders are of the opinion that the move might further plunge the country into another civil or sectarian crisis.

Although the merger of these subjects occurred in 2013 when the proposal was approved by the National Council of Education and was implemented by schools in September, 2014, the recent outcry of well meaning Nigerians over the removal of CRK from the curriculum thereby leaving students with the options of either studying French or IRK has raised speculations that the Federal Government’s plan, through the Federal Ministry of Education, is trying to islamise Nigeria.

However, debunking claims that the move wasn’t to sideline one religion, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, NERDC, Professor Ismail Junaidu, said: “The Basic Education Curriculum which includes the CRK and IRK Curricula was approved in 2013 by the National Council on Education.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the last review of the curriculum was approved in 2013 and implementation commenced in September, 2014 and neither CRK nor IRK was removed from the curriculum. In fact, at the commencement of the present administration, the Minister of Education sought and obtained the approval of the National Council on Education to make Christian Religious Knowledge compulsory for all Christians students and Islamic Studies compulsory for their Muslim counterparts.

Characteristics and distinctiveness

“The claims peddled on social media and  national dailies are, to say the least, speculative, false and unfounded, and efforts are in top gear to print the CRK and IRK curriculum separately in order to maintain their characteristics and distinctiveness.”

Rejecting government’s explanation, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has challenged government to publish full details of the new curriculum for Nigerians to see.  CAN President, Dr. Ayokunle Supo, said: “In the new curriculum, IRK and CRK would no longer be studied as subjects on their own, but as themes in civic education. This undermines sound moral values that these two subjects had imparted on children which had made enhanced religious and ethnic co-existence without any tension.

“IRK was equally made available as a subject in another section without any corresponding availability of CRK. Is this not a divisive curriculum that could set the nation on fire? Is this fair to millions of Christians in this nation?”

However, Vanguard Learning sought the views of Nigerians on the issue and they had these to say. For Mrs. Dele Giwa, Senior Lecturer in Adeniran College of Education and a pastor, the merger was an act of God to use knowledge in Islam to spread the gospel of peace, unity and the coming of Christ.

She said, “I see the present situation as an act of God especially as the Church, which ought to win souls for God has failed God. The Church ought to live communally, but today, pastors are very rich and the average citizen can’t send his or her wards to mission schools because of the high cost. Also, the Koran will convert the Muslims because everything they claim to fight for is not in the Koran but in the Hadith (like Acts of the Apostle in the Bible).”

Pointing out that the controversy over the merger is uncalled for, the Executive Director, African Child Education Right Initiatives, Mr. Yinka Olaito, however, noted that the lack of understanding on the part of the masses to the new subjects, religion and national values in the curriculum and the pairing of these subjects without due consultation were the major challenges.

His words “Government and policy makers need to thread this path with caution while the public needs to have better understanding of the issue before condemning it. Based on my knowledge, it is not a total elimination of CRK and infusing IRK, but more in the pairing of subjects. This has happened to other subjects that were paired without due consultation and the effect had been unsavoury.”

A parent, Mrs. Chioma Chibuzor-Anakor, said “The truth of the matter is that this issue is more spiritual than physical as Satan is trying to ensure that Jesus is not taught to the children in the schools. If we fold our hands, we would have a generation that wouldn’t have the opportunity to encounter Christ Jesus as school children.

Religious terrorism

“A time may come when they would banish prayers from schools. I remember in primary school in those days, on Fridays we usually had memory verse. I can’t ever forget mine. (Rev 3:20 ‘Behold I stand at the door and knock if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him and he with me’). This is a call to handle this matter in the place of prayer so let this be one of our prayer points. The desire of the Lord must be fulfilled in Nigeria and in my time.”

Questioning the basis  for the dropping if CRK from the curriculum, another parent, Mrs. Blessing Ojimba, asked “Is Islamic studies being dropped alongside CRK because I still don’t understand the reasons for this decision. Do they think teaching CRK in schools would enhance religious terrorism or that the teachings incite people?”

Calling for a thorough assessment of the decision, Tari Ebiason said “there has to be basis for this decision to remove the subject and the reasons should be viewed, assessed by a panel and the general public who are paying for their children to attend the schools and actually learn how to be better people, before a decision should be made.”