By Sulaiman Maijama’a
Sir: The almajiri system over the last few years has been a topic of debate among northern governors, stakeholders, and Islamic scholars. Some are in support of the total abrogation of the system, some call for repositioning the system, while others seek it to be integrated into the formal school system, thereby reconciling the Qur’an knowledge with Western education. Prof. Idris A. Abdulqadir, during the 21st convocation lecture of Bayero University back in 2003, was quoted to have said “The Almajiri system of education as practiced today in the northern Nigeria is a completely bastardized system compared to the form and conditions under which the system was operating and its output during the pre-colonial period. The system has been forced, especially with the coming of the British, to its present pitiful state. A popular Hausa singer, Malam Sa’adu Zungur of blessed memory was also quoted in his song “Arewa Junhuriyya” as saying “ As long as our children are wandering around nooks and crannies, roaming the street begging and chanting for food, the North will surely find herself at the receiving end.”
It’s obviously apparent that the present-day Almajiri system is faced with uncomfortable problems that are posing a great threat to the fabric of social structure in the North. Reports indicate that 60% of Almajiris never return home as indicated by the UNICEF report and their parents often don’t provide them with necessities of life (food, shelter, and clothing). This makes life difficult for them, as such they become most vulnerable and are easily brainwashed and conscripted into radicalism and other forms of nefarious activities such as kidnapping, armed robbery, banditry, drug trafficking, street larceny among others.
On the other hand, it is pathetic and embittering to see that, some of these Almajiris are separated from their parents at a very young age and sent to faraway places to stay under the supervision of their Qur’an Malam (teacher) for a long time. The greatest concern about this is that many of these Malams receive a high number of pupils that they cannot take care of neither can they accommodate. Thus, the children appear in torn and unwashed clothes, eating dirty food, and drinking contaminated water. This makes them to be the most vulnerable to contracting and spreading diseases among people.
Recently, due to the Corona virus pandemic, the governors of the 19 Northern states repatriated tens of thousands Almajiris to their home towns with a view to containing the spread of the disease. As the children arrived at their homes, some of them were quarantined and tested. The results caused widespread consternation: Of the 169 tested in Kaduna as of that time, 65 were positive; in Jigawa State, 91 of the 168 Almajiris tested positive. In Gombe, eight of the 48 children tested had Covid-19. In Bauchi, the number was seven out of 38. These lingering tribulations befalling the Almajiri system in the North has grossly raised concern among northern governors.
Little wonder that the Northern Governors Forum under the leadership of Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State recently insisted that, the system of Almajiri particularly street begging must be banned in the region, with a view to returning the system to its glory days when it was not associated with begging – a move, which has since sparked controversy among Islamic scholars of various sects. In the misconception of some Islamic scholars, the decision was a step to intentionally wreak havoc on the long-rooted method of teaching and learning Qur’an in the North. Things reached a point where some Islamic scholars termed the governors’ decision as blasphemy.
Former President Jonathan, seeing the level of illiteracy in the North, where out-of-school children constitute a nuisance, had come up with a brilliant idea of building almajiri schools to reduce street begging and integrate basic primary education in the almajiri system. The schools established on which N15 billion was spent, are still waiting to be put to use. While some of these schools have been remodeled as conventional basic educational institutions, some lay waste because the pupils have returned to their old ways, roaming the streets for alms. This proves beyond a reasonable doubt that, had the efforts of the then President Jonathan been complemented by the present administration, the ugly trend about the Almajiri system could have been a different story.
It’s imperative, therefore, for the present administration to take advantage of the schools established by the previous administration and provide them with adequate support financially and to also integrate the system into the conventional system of education. There should also be constant supervision and monitoring of the schools’ programmes and curriculum so as to check negative instructions and orientation.
The teachers should be oriented on the need to limit the number of Almajiris to the minimum they can take care of, while the parents of the Almajiris be compelled to cater for all the needs of the pupils in order to end the menace of street begging. Finally, to kill a snake and cut its head, skill acquisition centres should be established for Almajiris who have reached a certain age to be apprenticed. This will mean the Almajiris after acquiring the Qur’an knowledge will be self-reliant and stand on their feet.
- Sulaiman Maijama’a, Bauchi
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