30th July, 2018
Dr Ganiyu Sopeyin, the Executive Chairman, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), says the state will start specialised teaching in its primary schools from the 2018/2019 academic session.
Sopeyin told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos that teachers in the state owned primary schools would operate like their secondary school colleagues under the proposed arrangement.
He said this when NAN asked him to react to preparations being made by the state ahead of the introduction of history as an independent subject into primary schools by the Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) in September.
History is at present a component of Social Studies in primary school curriculum.
Sopeyin said, “Lagos will be the first to start specialised teaching in basic schools in the country. The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Idiat Adebule, has initiated the plan.
“This is to improve the quality of teaching in primary schools.’’
He said that under the new arrangement, a teacher would be encouraged to specialise in a particular subject, which he or she would impart on pupils instead of doing generalised teaching.
He said that was one of the reasons why the state government had approved the employment of more teachers in the state.
“Because of the passion and belief of the Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, in education he has graciously agreed to employ more teachers for us in the nearest time.’’
Sopeyin said that specialised teaching would also address the problem usually associated with the introduction of new subjects as there would be teachers to handle them.
According to research, high performing systems such as in Shanghai in China, Finland, Japan and Hong Kong have developed teacher expertise through specialisation.
Also, strong teacher-subject expertise significantly improves students’ learning and primary school teachers may be able to adopt a specific interest in order to develop a specialism.
The SUBEB chairman also said that the board would ensure that history as a subject would be given its pride of place in the public primary schools in the state.
“We, on our own, will ensure that we provide all necessary facilities and manpower needed for the introduction of history.
“Efforts are on; we are working on it, and by the grace of God, we will commence the teaching of history when schools resume,” he said.