Culture and curriculum development in Nigerian schools

This paper was concerned with cultural bases of curriculum. It examined the influence of culture on curriculum development in Nigerian Schools since education is regarded as the transmission of culture in a process known as enculturation. It is a process of initiating the growing and inexperienced persons into the way of life in his society based on factors of culture which bring about changes in school curriculum. The school does not work in a vacuum, but has to operate in co-operation with the home, church and all other agencies of society that influence the development of the child. One of the primary tasks of the teacher is to use the culture and school curriculum in helping pupils to make satisfactory adjustments as regards curriculum components and programs designed. Hence this paper was concerned with the question whether curriculum in the school is in any way based on culture. Has curriculum any connection with culture of the society? This task is impossible unless the school employee understands well the phenomena of family, church, peer groups, and community life. The paper therefore dealt with the meaning and classification of culture; the diagnosis of curriculum development; influence of culture on children’s learning; the context of curriculum development; and agencies in the educative process and curriculum development.