Nigerian French language curriculum and the millennium goals: issues in the Nigerian educational system

Abstract

Language is indispensable in the process of education. Education, on the other hand, language is universally acknowledged as a problem solver, which makes it paramount in the achievement of human developmental goals. It is also the key to transformation and sustainable development of any nation. Che Guevara in 1963 emphasized in his essay “Against Bureaucratism”, the need to turn society into a “big school”, where success in studies translates to capacity building of the individual both economically and morally to the advantage of society. This is only possible in a society, whose doors are open to new languages and cultures, consequently attracting knowledge from other lands in order to better face the challenges that life has presented it with. Foreign language learners around the world are trained to view the acquisition of language as the acquisition of a skills. As such, the learners tend to be more flexible and adaptable to new situations, which is an asset in an ever-changing world. Using the socio-historical and descriptive approaches, this paper seeks to highlight the importance of the French language curriculum in education to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals as an essential complement to national strategies for job creation and enhancement, as well as human capital development.

Keywords: French Language, Curriculum, Sustainable Development Goals, Knowledge-based Education, Educational System, Human Capital Development