I am dismayed at how the governors of four northern States in northern Nigeria, namely Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, and Bauchi, have yet again closed down nursery, primary, and secondary schools in their States during the fasting period of the holy month of Ramadan. The schools are closed at a time when the quality of education in northern Nigeria has been nose-diving for decades. At a time when the rate of out-of-school children in northern Nigeria is the highest in Nigeria and in West Africa. For instance, the recent Multidimensional Poverty Index given by the National Bureau for Statistics puts Bauchi State at 54% of children lacking access to education, with Kebbi State next at 45%, Katsina has 38%, and Kano trails at 35%.
I am shocked that some of the governors, in their wisdom, believe that it is good for the children to stay out of school for the entire month of Ramadan as a valuable addition to the States they govern. It is important to note that the youths are the greatest assets of any society.
What does Islam say about the closure of schools during Ramadan?
Indeed, the first Surah that was revealed to prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH) in the Holy Qur’an is the 96th Chapter of the Holy Qur’an (Surah Al-Alaq) Where Almighty Allah Said to Prophet Muhammad PBUH “IQRA’A” meaning “READ or LEARN”. It is also instructive to note that the Holy Qur’an was first revealed to the prophet Muhammad PBUH, during the holy month of Ramadan. And if we are standing on the platform of Islam, then the reason for the closure of the school is not justifiable.
May I remind those State Governors of the teachings of the leader of Islam, prophet Muhammad PBUH, whose educational model was more focused on youths of the society. During his days in Mecca before he performed Hijrah to Medina, especially after his Hijra and settling down in the city of Madina; majority of the people that drove the propagation. Of Islam (Da’awah), were the youths, who were highly educated in the school of the prophet Muhammad PBUH. Indeed, most of the companions/ followers of the prophet Muhammad PBUH became the knowledge reservoirs, teachers, leaders of thought, custodians/ librarians of Qur’an, Hadith, Islamic history, and Islamic jurisprudence, were young. Indeed, most of those companions/ followers of the prophet Muhammad PBUH, including women like his wives and others, acquired Islamic and other forms of education during their tender young , including during the month of Ramadan.
Therefore, there is no Islamic injunction in the Quran or in the Hadith that states that children should not go to school during Ramadan. Certainly, in Islam, children have to attain the age of puberty/maturity before they formally start fasting. So, if the concern is that the children will undergo a lot of stress during the month of fasting, about 90% (if we consider overage pupils) of the in Nursery and Primary schools’ pupils are not of fasting age. In fact, in the Islamic education system, pupils and students don’t go on holidays during Ramadan. Therefore, formal and informal Islamic schools (for example, Almajiri/ tsangaya schools) remain open during Ramadan except for the Eid-el-Fitri holidays. It is also strange and very worrisome to me as a Muslim and a northern Nigerian, that we are closing schools in some states in the north during the entire month of Ramadan, when indeed Islamic countries, or countries that run Islamic system of government, for example, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, etc. do not close their schools during Ramadan period. So, the question I ask is, what is the rationale behind closing schools for the entire month of Ramadan in those states? What value are we going to derive from closing our schools and keeping our children idle for a period of 30 days or more at a time when the minds and the brains of the children are open and ready to continue learning?
Is it strategic or rational to close schools during Ramadan?
At a time when we are trying to take more children (male and female), out of the streets and their homes and into the school system in the north, some governors are sending the pupils and students, home for a month. So, when you send back the child of a parents/guadians who would rather allow his child stay at home; as a Governor, what are you communicating to your people? You are actually inadvertently telling them that not going to school is a better option for that parent. Those children will be idle for a period of one month, doing nothing but playing or, in some cases, engaged in child labor. Hence, I wonder about the rationale behind keeping those schools closed. I would have loved to hear the reasoning that will align with my thoughts as a Muslim and as a northerner who believes that we are still lagging behind across all developmental indices in Nigeria. We are playing catch-up in terms of education, youth empowerment, and all other socioeconomic performance indices in this Country. And yet, we are closing schools for an entire month. Let us not forget, by the way, that during the course of the year, we have about 10 periods of public holidays in Nigeria; from Eid Kabir, Eid Fitri, Eid-el-Maulud, Christmas, Easter, New Year, Independence Day, Democracy Day, Workers Day, Children’s Day, etc. Of course, on some days that we have crises, we also shut down the national and/ or state economies.
Accordingly, I urge those governors to have a rethink because as it is, we are fast losing ground, and catching up is becoming very difficult on a slippery pathway of socioeconomic headwinds. It makes no sense to me that children will be kept out of school in northern Nigeria, whereas their mates in other States across Nigeria are going to school, and attending extra classes/lessons. Those children will definitely lag behind. They seat for the same examinations, i.e. WAEC, NECO, JAMB, etc with other students from other States across Nigeria and in some cases even competing with other students across West Africa. How do we expect these children to catch up and keep up? And when the school resumes, the pupils and students will have to undergo crash programs (under pressure) as if it is their fault. I am amazed that some of our State Governors are taking this route at this crucial moment in the evolution of our society in northern Nigeria. Interestingly, just three days ago, the Federal Ministry of Education announced the approval of 11 new private Universities in Nigeria by President Bola Ahmad Tinubu. If you go through the list of the newly approved private universities, none of them will be located or situated in Northern Nigeria, except for the one that will be located in Abuja, which is owned by a southern Nigerian. The question is, are we not looking at our actions that speak of our vision and our strategy?
Meanwhile, some northern states already have progressive, and forward-thinking plans for education and youth empowerment. Those models should be the models we should consider and improve upon rather than what I consider a retrogressive initiative of closing down schools for an entire month. If the consideration is socio-economic, the rhetorical question is, how much is the total money that will be spent in public schools for one month, feeding children during the holy month? Is it not worth it?
Therefore, I urge those northern governors in those states where the school closure initiative is ongoing to have a rethink. I remember that around 1982 to 1983, during the tenure of the late Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, the former governor of Kano State, Kano State received the UNESCO Award for Literacy in Nigeria. Oh, my goodness. Oh! How the mighty have fallen. I remember while growing up in Kano State as a student representing Rumfa College, Kano, as the President of the Debating and Literary Society, and as the Chief Speaker of the school while also representing Kano State at the national level; engaging schools from across Nigeria, competing successfully in Literary and Debating competitions, as a proud northerner, as a proud Kano boy. Oh! How the mighty have fallen! Now we have gone so backward that we will spend an entire month without our children going to school. I also remember with nostalgia, the days of first Governor of Kano State, late Alhaji Audu Bako, and even before then, when the likes of Mallam Aminu, together with Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, Dan Masanin Kano Late Bello Maitama Sule, and Alhaji Aminu Dantata came together around 1967 to see how they could consolidate the educational system of Kano State by setting up the Kano State Community Commercial College, Goron Dutse, which later became Aminu Community Commercial College Kano State. The closure of schools during Ramadan will negate such noble and strategic education strategies and initiatives.
I, therefore, urge the state governors concerned to reverse the decision of closing our schools at this important time of the year in the interest of our children, youth, and our future.
