Bishop Oyedepo cautions FG against forcing Islamic Studies on students of Christian backgrounds

The general overseer of Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel), Bishop David Oyedepo has cautioned the federal government of Nigeria against forcing Islamic studies on student of Christian backgrounds.

The Bishop warning came as a result of the contentious introduction of Islamic Studies to schools’ curriculum and the integration of the Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) with other subjects.

He was speaking during an emergency meeting conveyed by the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) in Lagos on Thursday, June 29, Oyedepo maintained that the federal government doesn’t have the right to forcefully asked student to study a particular subject. He added that not allowing Christian Religious Knowledge in secondary school implied discouraging it at the tertiary level too.

Rev Felix Omobude who presided over PFN also expressed concerns about the situation. “The PFN is disturbed at the controversy that have attended the revised Basic Education Curriculum, especially the unnecessary collapse of Christian Religious Studies as part of an omnibus subject known as Religion and National Values.

“We note the explanation by the NERDC on some of the issues raised. However, the PFN maintains that whatever the case, there is really no need nor is there any justification for the needless confusion and uncertainty the NERDC has created which has opened up the implementation of the curriculum to the whims and caprices of people with vested interests who want to impose their religious preferences on pupils.

“The PFN calls for an immediate reversal of the change of curriculum so that Christian Religious Studies can stand on its own as a separate subject just as it has always been.

“Collapsing CRS as only a part of Religion and National Values forecloses the opportunity of the subject being studied at the tertiary level by students who might so desire and this is unacceptable to us.”