Re-structuring secondary school chemistry education for sustainable development in Nigerian developing economy

Abstract

Chemistry Education is considered as a key agent of development, either as a way of developing human capacity, increasing the skilled workforce for modernization, or as a matter of personal freedom, developing capability and empowerment. Nigeria, as a nation, is still wadding in a muddy pull in seeking the right way to terminate her total dependence on foreign nations for technological expertise in fields of Science and Technology. The nation has produced many scientists, engineers and technologist yet we import services and goods in these fields from other countries which resulted in a recessed economy. This paper therefore discussed the loopholes in the present secondary school chemistry education and recommended the way forward in terms of restructuring the curriculum themes to produce a functional chemistry education, restructuring the chemistry practical activities to integrate improvisation with locally available materials and chemical processes designed to meet the need of the society (and not just rote learning of titration and cation/anion analysis of procured chemical compounds), introduction of remedial teaching plan for mastery learning strategy, introducing Science Mini Project (SMP) for Senior Secondary Students using available local materials as part of SSCE formative assessment scores. This would build a solid foundation that would usher in a new era of creative and innovative students who are prepared for post- secondary industrial work and at the same time could proceed with higher confidence and adequate creative potential and practical skills to higher education in any science and technological field.