Towards Implementing Peace Education Curriculum in Secondary Schools; A Prerequisite for National Security and Development

Abstract

Peace education is a deliberate attempt to educate children and adults in the dynamics of cultivating individual inner peace, conflict and the promotion of peace making skills in homes, schools and communities throughout the world, using all the channels and instrument of socialization. Hence, to attained national security and development in Nigeria, implementing peace education becomes paramount. Thus, this discourse is perceived ripe to add to the volume of literature on the imperative of peace education in Nigeria, especially at the basic and secondary levels of education. The paper concludes that peace education curriculum must not dwell only on strategies for making peace, awareness on conflicts, violence and crisis but should embraces contents and emphasis on emotional intelligence, self control, self esteem, self awareness which generally are key to individual inner  peace; which on its own, is the base for societal peace and development. It further recommends that; the curriculum that should and can help maintain and sustain peace in Nigeria must be relevant, suitable to the learner‘s level of attainment, balance between practical and academic studies, a common practical scheme for all in order to avoid parasitism by some highly informal character, teaching through practice rather than theory and relating subject matter to the present.