From Rashidat AbdulRahman, Minna
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State Chapter has appealed to the state governor, Umar Mohammed Bago-led administration to revisit the issue of recruiting Christian Religious Knowledge, CRK, teachers in public schools to instill morals in the children.
The State Chairman, CAN, Most Rev. Dr. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna said this at the 45th anniversary and National Conference of the National Association of Christian Religious Educators of Nigeria (NACREN) in Minna.
Dr Yohanna stated that CRK as a subject, if taught in public schools can help address social vices amongst the teeming youths in the state.
While speaking on what he tagged: ‘Who is afraid of CRK in public schools”, the CAN chairman said “what is good for the goose is good for the gander”.
In his remarks, the National President, National Association of Christian Religious Educators of Nigeria, NACREN, Rev. Dr. Reuben Maiture urged the federal government to lay more emphasis on the Christian Religious Knowledge as it does with other fields.
Accordingly, “The segregation, marginalisation and unfair treatment on the CRK teachers by governments at all levels should be stopped. Government emphasises ICT, technology and entrepreneur sectors and so on but relegates CRK that would help to transform the society morally to the background”.
Most Rev. Yohanna, who is also the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese explained that government needs to listen and act to several calls made by the association on the need to reintroducing the teaching of CRK in public schools as being done with the Islamic Religious Knowledge (IRK) that has qualified teachers to teach in most of the schools to ensure justice.
The state CAN chairman also disclosed that the issue has been lingering, and there has been a running battle between successive governments and CAN in the state since 2003 over the issue of employment of CRK teachers in all public schools in the state.
He explained that as at 2004, in the 152 public schools, there were only 120 CRK teachers in the state. He added that, “in 2004 when Niger State hosted the National Conference of CRK teachers, the statistics given to us by government was 220 CRK teachers including the non-qualified teachers for over 450 schools.
“The 2016 statistical data, the state needed about 300 CRK teachers for the over 300 schools in the state. But as at today, most of the CRK teachers have either retired or some of them who are still in active service have been converted to teach Social Studies or any other subjects.
“This has been a big challenge and CAN has in the past engaged volunteer teachers and even paid stipends to fill the gap. Whereas the Christians are being denied teaching opportunities, the story is different with the Islamic Religious Knowledge (IRK) as they have qualified teachers to teach in most of the schools”.
The cleric also stated that the best ways to tackle youth restiveness, drug abuse, waywardness, disrespect and other vices in the society is to teach our children the way of God, so that they are not influenced by worldly affairs.
Rev. Yohanna further maintained, that the “last time I checked, I discovered that, teaching of CRK in both primary and secondary schools and even tertiary institutions has become an issue in the state.”
“And so, I asked, who is afraid of CRK in public schools? I discovered that most of the schools do not have teachers, even the State College of Education, Minna that should produce CRK teachers does not have a large number of students because some of these students are not encouraged to apply to study CRK mainly because after graduation they fear that they may not get employed and so they go for other subjects,” he’s said.
He called on the state government to make the study of CRK attractive for those in higher institutions so as to have professional teachers in the subject.
