The Federal Government Monday launched and officially presented the Senior Secondary School Curriculum drawn up by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) as approved by the National Council on Education (NCE), to the public.

Minister of Education prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i, who launched the curriculum in Abuja, said the new curriculum developed by NERDC is taking effect in schools by September 2011.

“The Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC) is expected to be implemented in September 2011 beginning from Year 1 with the gradual phasing out of the old curriculum,” she said. Rufa’i said the array of the new 34 trade/entrepreneurship subjects embedded into the new curriculum structure will enable students to overcome poverty and generate employment for the country.

She therefore called on all players in the curriculum implementation at all levels to live up to expectation in the challenges ahead, adding

that the effective implementation of the curriculum will enhance sustainable educational development.

“As I launch this new SSEC, I am very sure we in the education sector are embarking on a process and journey that will certainly turn the developmental fortunes of our dear country positively around towards attaining the noble ideals of Vision 20:2020.

Earlier in his remarks, the Executive Secretary of NERDC, Prof. Godswill Obioma said the new curriculum was an answer to the directive given to the research institute by NCE to review the old SSEC in 2006.

“It is our collective hope that graduates from SSEC in June 2014 will have been equipped for higher education and at the same time possess the relevant technical, vocational and entrepreneurship skills,” Obioma said. According to him, the first public examination, based on the new SSEC will be conducted by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and others in June 2011.