Modern Almajiri Schools yet to take off in Northeast 6 years after introduction – NAN Survey
Almajiri
Bauchi, Aug. 16, 2018 (NAN) The Modern Almajiri School System introduced by the Federal Government in 2012 is yet to be implemented in some states of the North-East sub-region, a survey by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has indicated.
The Federal authorities had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the benefiting states in the North on the establishment and running of the Almajiri schools.
In the agreement, Federal government is to build and equip the schools and hand them over to the respective states to fund and operate.
NAN investigation however reveals that apart from security challenges, religious and cultural factors are playing a major role in the non-implementation of the programme by state governments.
One of such states is Borno, where some education stakeholders, clerics and residents said the security challenges that bedeviled the state, had taken its toll on the implementation of the school system.
They told NAN that apart from the security issue, cultural, religious and tribal beliefs had also played a major role.
Mr Bulama Abiso, Chairman, Borno Chapter of Nigerian Union of Teachers, said that the programme could not be implemented in Borno due to the Boko-Haram insurgency.
“Here in Borno, we do not have such schools; only the informal Almajiri schools exist, where the children end up fending for themselves.
“The Government must adopt a very strong policy, through the North- East Development Commission, to tackle menace of out-of-school children.
“Education stakeholders must also be carried along in the implementation for it to record success, “he said.
Mustapha Buhari, a resident of GRA Maiduguri, said the informal Almajiri system was still the priority of most parents, in spite of its glaring deficiencies.
“The North-East can never get it right politically and developmentally until it stops seeing the informal Almajiri system as a tradition, rather than a menace,” he warned.
Buhari explained that even if the government decided to modernize the system by bringing them under one roof, the programme may not last.
When contacted on the issue, Borno Commissioner of Education, Mr Inuwa Kubo, gave a terse response.
“You know we do not have anything like the Almajiri school system in Borno,” he told NAN.
Also in Adamawa, the system had yet to commence operation since its introduction in the state in 2013.
Investigation conducted by NAN in Adamawa revealed that since the Federal Government handed over the school structures, none of them commenced academic activities.
NAN also gathered that in 2013, the state government had recruited several National Certificate of Education (NCE) holders to teach in the schools, but were later placed on stand-by.
Speaking on the development, Malam Umar Shehu, state Desk Officer of the Almajiri School System, explained that seven schools were established in Mayo-Belwa, Maiha, Michika, Song, Yola South, Mubi North and Yola North local government areas
Also commenting, Alhaji Muhammadu Toungo, Executive Chairman, Adamawa State Universal Basic Education Board ( ADSUBEB) confirmed that the schools had been handed over to the board but were yet to take off.
Toungo said that some of the schools have been equipped and ready to commence academic activities.
“In order to avoid keeping the schools unused, two communities from Mayo-Belwa and Mubi North met with the Board.
“During the meeting, they expressed their interest to take over and operate the schools in their respective communities and discussion is ongoing,” Toungo said.
According to him, the board has recruited watchmen to protect the facilities from vandals.
Another state where the project has not taken-off, is Yobe, as confirmed by the Information Officer of the state Ministry of Education, Mohammed Kyari,
Kyari however said most of the facilities had been provided.
In Bauchi, the State Government said it had 10 Tsangaya Schools, with a population of 2,503 pupils.
The Information Officer, Bauchi State Basic Universal Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi, told NAN that the schools were located in Alkaleri, Gamawa, Toro, Dirya, Ragwam, Azare, Buzge, Sade, Kangere and Sai towns.
He said that all the schools were functional, and that pupils were being taught English, Mathematics and other subjects contained in the syllabus and curriculum of conventional schools.
Abdullahi said that all the pupils enrolled were males, adding that similar schools for females were yet to be established.
Similarly, Gombe State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) said the people of the state had embraced the Amajiri School System, adding that enrolment figure into such schools had kept rising.
Mrs Zulaihatu Madugu, Acting Secretary of the Board, said over 4,000 children were enrolled into the schools in 2017 and more communities had shown interests in having such schools established in their communities.
“From 2017 to 2018, the board received applications from 33 different communities requesting the establishment of such schools in their domain.
“They have seen the success story of such schools and that is why they are applying,’ she said.
Mrs Madugu, who is also the Director, School Services, Gombe State Ministry of Education, said assistance from both the State and Federal Governments, in terms of school uniforms and materials for writing, was forthcoming.
Similarly, the Executive Secretary, Jigawa Islamic Education Bureau, Malam Abbas Yakubu, said that the state government had enrolled over 3000 pupils to study in schools under the integrated Almajiri formal education programme.
He explained that the pupils were admitted to study both Arabic and western education, with the consent of their parents and Qur’anic teachers.
“We have seven of such schools across Jigawa and they are fully functional.
“Pupils are being taught subjects like Mathematics, English, Computer Science, and Hygiene, among others, along with Islamic and Qur’anic education,” he said. (NAN)
Reporters/ASH/MZA
Edited by Abdullahi Salihu/Maharazu Ahmed