The West African Examinations Council has
announced the introduction of 39 new subjects in its examinations.
The Council’s Acting Head, Test Development
Division, Mrs. Olayinka Ajibade, who announced this, said the new subjects
would commence in this year’s May/June West African Senior School Certificate
Examination.
Ajibade said this while delivering a paper titled
“The New Senior Secondary Education Curriculum in Nigeria: Implications for
Assessment” at the council’s monthly seminar in Lagos on Friday.
The fresh initiative, she said, was in accordance
with the Nigerian Education Research and Development Council’s new secondary
school curriculum.
The NERDC is the body responsible for reviewing
primary and secondary schools’ curricula in the country.
She said, “The implementation of the new SSCE
curricula began in September 2011, meaning that the maiden public examinations
based on the new/ revised curricula are expected to be held in May/ June 2014.
“Each WASSCE syllabus is derived from the senior
secondary education curriculum. In addition to the 39 new subjects for which
NERDC engaged in curriculum development, curriculum review was also carried out
for 35 existing subjects.”
In the new curriculum, four new subjects-
Computer Studies, Insurance, Store Management and Office Practice- are in the
electives category, while the remaining 35 subjects are in the Trades category.
Among subjects in the trade category are Painting
and Decorating, Photography, Salesmanship, Plumbing and Pipe Fitting, and
Upholstery.
Ajibade added that under the fresh directive,
students would be required to take four core subjects, comprising English
Language, General Mathematics, Civic Education and Trade/ Entrepreneurial
Studies.
The candidates, she added, would be required to
choose three or four subjects from Humanities, Science, Technology and Business
Studies depending on their potential and interest.
Ajibade, while unveiling this, noted
however that the new directive would face some challenges.
She identified inadequate teachers, appalling
state of facilities in schools and large class size as some of the challenges
that would likely beset the initiative.
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