The West African Examinations Council has announced the introduction of 39 new subjects in its examinations.

The Council’s Acting Head, Test Development Division, Mrs. Olayinka Ajibade, who announced this, said the new subjects would commence in this year’s May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination.

Ajibade said this while delivering a paper titled “The New Senior Secondary Education Curriculum in Nigeria: Implications for Assessment” at the council’s monthly seminar in Lagos on Friday.

The fresh initiative, she said, was in accordance with the Nigerian Education Research and Development Council’s new secondary school curriculum.

The NERDC is the body responsible for reviewing primary and secondary schools’ curricula in the country.

She said, “The implementation of the new SSCE curricula began in September 2011, meaning that the maiden public examinations based on the new/ revised curricula are expected to be held in May/ June 2014.

“Each WASSCE syllabus is derived from the senior secondary education curriculum. In addition to the 39 new subjects for which NERDC engaged in curriculum development, curriculum review was also carried out for 35 existing subjects.”

In the new curriculum, four new subjects- Computer Studies, Insurance, Store Management and Office Practice- are in the electives category, while the remaining 35 subjects are in the Trades category.

Among subjects in the trade category are Painting and Decorating, Photography, Salesmanship, Plumbing and Pipe Fitting, and Upholstery.

Ajibade added that under the fresh directive, students would be required to take four core subjects, comprising English Language, General Mathematics, Civic Education and Trade/ Entrepreneurial Studies.

The candidates, she added, would be required to choose three or four subjects from Humanities, Science, Technology and Business Studies depending on their potential and interest.

Ajibade, while unveiling this, noted however that the new directive would face some challenges.

She identified inadequate teachers, appalling state of facilities in schools and large class size as some of the challenges that would likely beset the initiative.