Gombe set to formalise Almajiri system of education  

Gombe State Government has restated its commitment and readiness to formalise the Almajiri system of education in the state in order to ensure that the Almajiri system does not suffer neglect.

A statement signed by the Technical Assistant to the Gombe State Project Coordinator on Better Education and Service Delivery, (BESDA), Usman Usman Dankyarana, which was distributed to reporters in Bauchi Monday contained that, the State Commissioner of Education, Dr Habu Dahiru, stated this in Kaduna when he led a government delegation to the Headquarters of National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) a Federal Government Board to regulate the education of Almajiri in Nigeria.

He stated that the visit was the second visit after the first one to seek partnership with the board on how the Qur’anic education will be better taught and managed.

Dr Habu Dahiru said that Gombe State Ministry of Education is fully aware of the expertise of the board in quality assurance, the conduct of examination and issuance of certificates to students of Arabic and Islamic and the government is ready to collaborate with NBAIS to ensure that people who passed through the modern tsangaya schools and found worthy in character and learning are certificated.

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“You also know that the teacher is the backbone in the provision of any form of education, the Gombe State Government will also seek the expertise of NBAIS in building the capacity of our teachers in this regard”

He also said that the State Ministry of Education is aware of the contributions of NBAIS to the success recorded in Arabic and Islamic studies in some states that have partnered with it, adding that Gombe State is desirous to reap from such benefits.

The Commissioner said that the present administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya is committed to a holistic transformation of the education sector right from the basic level.

He attributed the high number of out of school children in the state to the centrality of Gombe in the North-East zone, as a result of which the state grapples with an influx of people running from the insurgency affected neighbouring states of Borno Yobe and Adamawa.

In order to address such challenges, the Gombe State Commissioner of Education said, the Inuwa Yahaya-led administration keyed into the Federal Government- World Bank project, Better Education Service Delivery for All, BESDA to mop up out of school children and bring them back to the classroom.

He said the partnership with the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies, NBAIS is to modernize, standardize and formalize the tsangaya learning system so that those who pass through it can obtain a certificate for future challenges.

Also speaking, Gombe State BESDA Coordinator, Dr Abdullahi Bappah Garkuwa stated that Governor Inuwa Yahaya is committed to repositioning Almajiri system of education in the state as he intends to establish 11 tsangaya model schools that will accommodate 1000 Almajiri in each local government, which is the first of its kind in the country and will help to sustain the BESDA project on integrating Almajiri to continue with their education.

Dr Garkuwa said that Gombe State Government is planning a National Summit on Almajiri education. He said under BESDA programme the state reduced the number of out of school children especially girl child who hawk on the streets and integrate thousands of almajiri in western education classes.

The Acting Registrar of the Board, Professor Shafiu Abdullahi expressed its readiness to collaborate with any state government in modernising Tsangaya Qur’anic school to address challenges of Al-Majiris in the country.

Professor Shafiu Abdullahi also said that the board has come up with modalities with a view to transforming Tsangaya System of Education in the country adding that the measures include training proprietors and Alarammas of Tsangaya school in a bid to take a new turn in Almajiri system of education for sustainable development.

The Registrar said that the board was highly committed to bringing an end the problems of Almajiri by providing them with appropriate syllabus and Method of teaching in the tsangaya Qur’anic schools.

The commissioner’s delegation comprised of Special Adviser on Budget, Planning and Development Partners Coordination, BESDA coordinator, Representative of alarammas, Permanent member 2 (who represented the SUBEB chairman), the Representative of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi foundation and Representative from sheikh Abdulkadir Jahun foundation.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE