NUT counsels FG on merge of CRS, IRK
The federal government has been advised not to merge Christian Religious Studies (CRS) with Islamic Religious Knowledge (IRK) as doing so would be counterproductive.
Oyo state chairman of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Niyi Akano, expressed this view in an interview with The Daily Times in Ibadan, the state capital on Thursday.
He stated that CRS and IRK should be allowed to stay separately and that students must be allowed to study any subject of their choice.
Akano said it amounts to unnecessary meddlesomeness with the school syllabus by the government to say that both subjects must be made compulsory for students whether they are Muslims or Christians.
He noted that religion is a very sensitive issue that any government should not tamper with as it may turn out to be counter-productive in the final analysis and wondered what informed the decision of the government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, to come up with the strange policy, describing it as ill-informed.
The Oyo state NUT chairman gave kudos to the members of the National Assemblyfor not supporting the policy, saying “it is a bold step that would have positive impact.
He advised parents to engage their wards in meaningful activities as third term holidays, which is a long one, is fast approaching, “as an idle hand is the devil’s workshop.”
