Date: 2015-07-05

Any attempt to phase out religious studies in Nigeria's education curriculum would not augur well for the nation's development, some scholars in Kwara State have warned.

Islamic and Christian scholars in the state spoke against the backdrop of the move by government to replace Islamic and Christian Religious Studies from curriculum of secondary schools.

It was gathered that they are being proposed to be replaced with a subject on national orientation with effect from the next academic session in September.

Reacting to the development in Ilorin, a lecturer in the Department of Religions, University of Ilorin, Dr. Abubakar Aliagan and former Deputy Provost, College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies (CAILS), Ilorin, Dr. Ameenullahi Olohunoyin urged the government to rescind the decision.

They also called on religious leaders in the country to come out publicly and take a position on the matter.

The duo stressed that phasing out religious studies from the school curriculum or making them optional subjects as the case may be is a bad idea.

According to them, greater emphasis must be placed on inculcating morals on the younger ones which is the essence of religious studies.

Aliagan is of the opinion that government should have consulted with religious leaders before taking such sensitive decision.

He said some scholars in the state had brought the matter to the notice of Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammed Saad Abubakar through the Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, to take necessary action.

Also speaking with our correspondent, Secretary of CAN in the 19 Northern states, Rev. Cornelius Fawenu said religious leaders would have to engage policy makers in the education sector to "authenticate the true situation of things".

"However, looking at the global trend, any attempt to remove religious studies from the curriculum of education, whoever tries to promulgate that is not doing that in the best interest of the country or of the youths and the children. If you look at the western world today, morally speaking it is a battered society and we should be careful not to get to that level", he said.