| Summary: | This thesis examines the religious knowledge curriculum for junior secondary schools in order to contribute to and reinforce the implementation of the national curriculum as recommended by the national policy on education which favours a more inclusive curriculum. Literature review on the national policy on education, the national curriculum and a brief empirical study on the views of some stakeholders in Nigerian education point to the need for appropriate implementation of Nigeria's educational policies into a curriculum that will help pupils discover that religion can and does contribute to their national life, school life and individual life. The introductory chapter gives an overview of the religious knowledge curriculum within the Nigerian context. Chapter two reviews relevant literature on the religious knowledge curriculum and the national policy on education. It was revealed that the exclusive and confessional approach of the present curriculum has not been consistent with the goals of the national policy. It highlights traditional religion as significant to Nigeria's religious culture. It recommends the "learning from and about" approach in studying Nigeria's main religions as significant to the process of mutual respect, coexistence and understanding among the various groups. Chapter three examines the principles for curriculum development. It adopts the CESAC process model of curriculum development as the most recommended model by the Government of Nigeria. It attempts to construct a religious knowledge curriculum based on the relevant criteria discovered during the course of the research. Chapter four explores the significance of stakeholders in Nigerian education. Specifically, it reports on an empirical study which investigates the views of stakeholders regarding the adoption of the new religious knowledge curriculum. Chapter five examines the viability of the new curriculum within the national policy guidelines. It argues that the teaching of the new religious knowledge curriculum is consistent with the human development pedagogical approach for teaching an inclusive religious knowledge curriculum.
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