Ilorin — Worried by the high moral decadence among the youths, the Nigeria Association of Teachers of Arabic and Islamic Studies (NATAIS) last weekend called on the Federal Government to come out with a policy that would make teaching of religious studies compulsory in the country.

In a communiqué issued at the end of its national council meeting held at the University of Ilorin, the association observed that not making religious studies compulsory in all the country's institutions of learning contradicted the Federal Government's objective of building a morally upright society.

In the communiqué signed by the association's national president, secretary and publicity secretary, Prof. Musa Ali Ajetunmobi, Dr. Musa Abdu-Raheem and Dr. Yahaya Oyewole Imam respectively, the Islamic teachers noted that "teaching of religious studies was not allowed for senior secondary schools students in science and social science classes in the country."

The Islamic teachers noted that efforts had been made to convince the government and other stakeholders of the need for religious studies to be made compulsory particularly as a way of checking examination misconduct among students.

They said that, the National Inter-religious Committee comprising Muslim and Christian leaders had joined the association in making representation to the Federal Government and its agencies to the effect that religious studies should be taught to every student in senior secondary schools in Nigeria.