The Federal Government has been commended for reintroducing civic education in the educational curriculum. The Special Adviser to Governor Chibuike Amaechi on Primary Education, and a one-time member, Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr Sam Sam Etetegwung who was speaking in a keynote address at a one-day capacity building workshop for civic education teachers in Port Harcourt, said civic education was the bedrock of national co-existence.

“Civic education teaches about the values and ethics in both our national life and public service”, he said, adding, “for us to co-exist as a state in spite of the many ethnic groups and dialects in Rivers State, we must learn to  love ourselves and respect each other’s culture and beliefs.”

Etetegwung further sated that it was important to teach children to be united in diversity to equip them in their adult lives.

According to him, “if we are not united, we will destroy the state for the future generation”, stressing  that, “if children grew  with the right values, they will not deviate from it in adulthood”. He, therefore, charged participants to comport themselves and learn all they could, expressing the hope that they would pass their knowledge on to their pupils.

He said the workshop, which was organized by the State National Orientation Agency (NOA) in partnership with the state Ministry of Education was timely and congratulated them for its success. In his welcome address, the Rivers State Director, NOA, Chief Andy Nweye, stated that the workshop  was aimed at exposing civic education teachers to the new concepts introduced into the curriculum and to formally present two new books, painstakingly researched by the National Technical Committee on Civil Education and sponsored by NOA, to the teachers, declaring that this had already been done at the national level. Chief Nweye, stated that the reintroduction of civic education in the school curriculum stems from the need to “re-awaken and strengthen the socio-political and economic values which hitherto had  broken down in our families and society”, in children and to “inculcate basic values that would make them responsible and patriotic citizens of their fatherland”. He stated that, NOA recognises that the “teacher is fundamental in any programme aimed at socializing the child”, expressing regret that, “the directive to hold the workshop came at a time when public schools were not in session due to an industrial action embarked by teachers in the state, promising that  public schools would have their  turn. He restated the commitment of NOA to its “statutory mandate of modalising, sensitising and educating” the Nigerian populace on government programmes and policies. Speaking on the theme of the workshop, civil education as the Foundation for Democratic Governance and National Development”.  Mr Samuel Egbe, noted that civic education was essential for the survival and existence of democratic governance, and prayed that the Nigerian child would form a better attitude towards the Nigerian people, state, laws and government with the help the teachers and appreciate unity in diversity. Mrs. M.O. Solomon who stood in for the state education commissioner, Mrs. Alice Nemi, presented the books to the teachers.