The controversy surrounding the introduction of National Values/Civic Education into Nigeria’s school curriculum heightened on Thursday as the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) took its protest to the country’s Senate over the issue.

The CAN delegation who visited the Senate President, Bukola Saraki in his office, expressed dissatisfaction over the new curriculum which seeks to make Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) and Islamic Religious Knowledge (IRK) compulsory subjects for all pupils and students irrespective of their religious inclinations.

Prof. Charles Adisa who led the delegation on behalf of CAN’s president, said the new nine-year Basic Education Curriculum was unfair to Christian pupils and called for the intervention of the National Assembly to ensure that there exists genuine respect for the nation’s constitution and that laws that infringe on freedom of worship are abolished.

“There is a portion in the curriculum that encourages the children to disobey their parents if they are opposed to an issue. When an educational programme encourages rebellion in the home, what will be the implication? “Adisa querried.

He alleged that there was a distortion in the account of the birth of Jesus Christ in the new books provided in the revised curriculum, hence the position of CAN is that both CRK and IRK should be studied as separate subjects while Civic Education and Social Studies should be merged.

In his remarks, the Senate President assured them that the Senate Committee on Basic Education would investigate their complaints and urged all stakeholders to remain calm  as the National Assembly would, as a matter of urgency, look into the issues raised and  ensure that its final recommendations are acceptable and satisfactory to all religions.