Lagos State introduces history as stand-alone compulsory subject in schools

The Lagos State government has introduced history as a stand-alone compulsory subject across schools in the state.

This was contained in a letter to all private school owners in the state dated August 8 and signed by the Director of Research, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs. E. I. Pelemo.

The letter directed schools in the state to make the subject compulsory at primary and junior secondary school levels.

According to her, the subject can be taken as an elective in the senior secondary school level.

Pelemo said the introduction of history as a stand-alone subject in the state was an implementation of the directive of the Nigerian Education Research and Development Council.

“I have the directive of the DG (OEQA) to inform you that the teaching of History as a stand-alone subject is back to schools.

“In line with the directives from the Nigerian Education Research and Development Council (NERDC), the subject has been re-introduced in the National Curriculum and in the current Lagos State Unified Schemes of Work for primary and junior secondary schools.

“You are to note that while the subject (History) is compulsory for both primary and junior secondary school classes, it is an elective subject in the senior secondary school.

“To this end, I am further directed to inform you that the subject should be taught in primaries 1 and 2 and JSS 1 and 2 classes in the 2022/2023 academic session.

“Kindly give this notice the widest publicity it deserves,” the letter read.

There had been renewed calls for the return of history to schools in the country after it was initially stopped.