CAN President commends FG over reinstatement of CRK, IRK as separate subjects

President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Samson Ayokunle, has commended the Federal Government for reinstating Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) and Islamic Religious Knowledge (IRK) back into schools curriculum as separate subjects.
A statement by Adebayo Oladeji, Ayokunle’s Special Assistant on Media and Communications, on Saturday in Abuja, said the merger of the two subjects had been rejected long before the emergence of this present administration.
According to the cleric, reversal of the subjects is an indication that there is a listening and sensitive government that is ready to reverse unacceptable policy when the need arises.
He also commended the timely intervention by the National Assembly that doused the tension that was generated by the policy.
He called on the government to direct NERDC to organise a seminar on the new curriculum with a view to address all the grey areas, especially topics that can discourage rebellion.
According to Ayokunle, all state governments should be mandated to recruit adequate teachers for the CRK and IRK especially in the North where most of the states have no teachers for the subjects.
“The Federal Ministry of Education should review all the textbooks that are currently being used in schools as some of them encourage ungodly practices like masturbation.
“We appreciate all well-meaning Nigerians, the media and the civil society for their roles while the controversy lasted.
“We pray for divine guidance and wisdom for our political leaders as they lead the country.’’
Last Thursday, the Federal Government had asked the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) to reinstate CRK and IRK as separate subjects.
Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu said this at a meeting with state Education Commissioners and some stakeholders in the education sector in Abuja.
Adamu, who was represented by Anthony Anwukah, said the reinstatement of the subjects was necessary considering the controversies the revision had generated.
He said the collapse of the subjects was to reduce the subjects in school.
“There were complaints by parents that children were overloaded with so many subjects and the recommendation then was to merge one or two subjects,” he said.
“Unfortunately, water and oil were merged together and it is not working. So, to save ourselves the agony, the two subjects should be separated. We push that to the NERDC.”