Acting provost, Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin, Dr Ahmed Jimoh Ayinla, has called for the incoporation of Peace Education in the curriculum of Social Studies subject being taught in secondary schools.
Peace education, he said is an un-explored area of research and a tool for solving the myriads of problems bedevilling Nigeria as a nation.
Ayinla, a chief lecturer in the department of Social Studies of the college made the recommendations in the second inaugural lecture of the college which he delivered.
The lecture was titled” Social Studies is Peace, Peace is Social Studies: An Alliance that Replicates Human Existence”.
He said, “The present Social Studies curriculum content in our secondary schools should be reviewed in such a way that the concepts that are relevant to peace education will be identified and reflected.”
The inaugural lecturer added that, “Policy makers should not only plan for Social Studies and peace education in schools but provide adequate supervision for implimentation”.
He tasked academics in the Social Studies related disciplines to conduct more research in peace education with a view to contributing their qoutas to solving the many challenges retarding growth and development in Nigeria.
“There is limited expertise and capacity for peace education available in most tertiary institutions in some parts of the country. More social experts should see peace education as an opportunity to contribute to to local and national development considering the intesnsified rates of ethno-religious, ethno- communal, social- political , social-cultural conflicts, crisis and terrorism , mostly occasioned by incompatible goals and values that are bedevilling the contemporary society”, Ayinla said.
The inaugural lecture was attended by the deputy governor of Kwara State, Mr Kayode Alabi.