How To Reform Almajiri System of Education, By Abdulhaleem Ishaq Ringim
POLITICS DIGEST – While we must commend the efforts of the few state governors who have courageously stood out by putting a ban on street begging(an unfortunate cardinal attribute of today’s almajiri system of education), imposing a free education policy and reemphasizing the need for reforms in the Tsangaya System, we must understand that these unilateral moves by states would not yield a reasonable and sustainable result unless if taken by all Northern states in a highly coordinated approach.
Let’s give it a thought!
Most studies and observations have shown that if for example we do a survey on the origins of the population of almajiri in let us say Kaduna state, we would realize that majority are not indigenes of Kaduna State but of neighboring Northern States or even countries.
And most states do not have the unilateral capacity to cater for the education and welfare of all these students, to be frank. In fact some would argue that the resources of a state should be solely expended to cater for the need of the indigenes of that state, hence, a scandal might erupt.
What we need is for the northern governors to consider the following options collectively; 1. Constitute a data mining exercise that would be mandated to undertake a mini census of all almajiri in Northern Nigeria, their states of origin and the total number of almajiri schools through a state by state approach. This would give the government an insight on the demographic distribution of the almajiri population.
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- Push for the establishment of an agency which would be solely responsible for Almajiri System of Education through the federal legislators representing Northern States (also leverage the influence of traditional rulers) and Set up a fund that would draw from the federal government, each Northern state’s budget, and the rich presence of private sector actors in the region which will be duly shared to the states according to the established demographics.
- The agency should work hand in hand with the Education ministry, a committee of renowned Almajiri or Tsangaya School teachers and other relevant stakeholders to bring up a standard curriculum that would address the Islamic, Modern and Entrepreneurial Basic Education Needs with a definite duration for the Programme, the remuneration of the Tsangaya Alarammas (teachers), standards and criteria for admission( e.g age) and teaching etc.
- Tsangaya Schools should then be built in each state based on the established demographics, existing ones should be renovated. 5. A database should be set up which would capture the biodata and all necessary information of each almajiri including expected durations of stay in the school and also monitor the movements of these almajiris between the states.
- The schools should adopt the model of the Unity Boarding Schools we have in the country. 7. Then the ban on begging should be fully implemented with strict penalties attached in cases of defaulting parents. 8. Also, strict monitoring and periodic evaluation of the system should be harshly adhered to.
With this, I believe we would be fighting the menace in a more sustainable approach and ensuring that these almajiris get the opportunities they deserve while permanently removing the most denigrating and disastrous attribute of the current almajiri System which is “Street Begging” regardless of their origins.
Ringim wrote from Zaria via: [email protected]
