Over 8.7 million almajirai are enrolled in Quranic schools across northern states, with the North-west having over 4.9 million, North-west over 2.7 million and North-central having over 1.1 million.
National Coordinator, Almajiri Education Programme, Professor Muhammad Mustapha Jagaba, who disclosed this at the 50th anniversary celebration of Sheikh Abubakar Gummi Memorial College in Sokoto, said ‘‘the immediate import of these figures is that we have half of our school age population in the northern states in the almajiri education system’’.
He added, “if we aggregate attendance in Islamiyyah schools alongside that of Quranic schools, many of our key states will have more pupils in the Islamic educational system than in conventional primary schools”.
He noted that the overall objective of the almajiri education programme is to ensure that more than nine million almajirai are integrated into the Universal Basic Education programme.
Jagaba said among major achievements of the committee on almajiri education programme, is the construction of 89 model almajiri schools in 25 states and intervention in existing 18 Islamiyyah/Ma’ahad schools in eight states.
He stressed the need to develop the Islamic educational system on proper institutional lines.
“Government should intensify establishment of integrated basic education institutions, especially in rural areas”, he stated.
Prof. Jagaba, who also emphasized the need to redress rural poverty, added, “without tackling this daunting menace, rural communities will still shed their load on urban centres’’.
Source: Daily Trust
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