COVID-19: Evacuation of “ALMAJIRAI” to their Original States and the “BANNING” of the System by Northern Governors

Since the discovery of COVID-19 in northern Nigeria, various state governors have begun to put some measures in order to curb the spread of the virus among the peoples of their respective states.

As part of the measures, the lockdown has been announced and enforced to restrict the peoples and vehicular movement in line with the rule of NCDC. Another measure taken by the governors of the region is banning of almajiri system and their subsequent evacuation and unification to their parents, the decision of the governors was informed by the nature of the life of some of the almajiris children who were engaging in street begging as their means of livelihood the situation that exposed them to be more vulnerable to the virus and its transmission to others peoples.

most of the tsangaya schools were lacking a conducive and neat accommodation to cater for the needs of the large numbers of these knowledge-seeking children. However, the children were sleeping in very congested rooms and also study in the like manner, the situation that gives an avenue for the spreads of diseases among the children who are very dangerous at this period of a health emergency.

Almajiris system is a very mature educational institution that has been inexistent time immemorial but, unfortunately, the usurping authority never intended to sustain it, it actually allowed to remain in an ugly condition to the extents that all education laws were promulgated in utter disregard to the system. So the people who like any other sovereign entity and being proud of their own continued to support the system themselves.

However, officially the system was allowed to wither away as the colonial power had wished and wanted. The neglect and nonchalant altitude have to be blamed for the predicament of the Quran schools in northern Nigeria.

The governors of the northern region have to reiterate their commitment towards the growth and development of the almajiris system by providing financial and technical support to the system and incorporating their teachers in their payroll system in order to have a sense of belonging for the tedious job of teaching
The governors of the northern state should also create a specified department, in their state ministry of Education to oversee the affair of the almajiris system with a view to developing its to be a proud indigenous system of Education that will contribute to the educational development of northern states and Nigeria at large.

Conclusively, parents should understand that children were trusted to them and Allah almighty will ask them to account for how they manage the children. The states concerned should look for a way of improving the almajiris system of education by integrating some essentials formal subjects(English, mathematics, and General knowledge)in the stead of their decision of banning the system.

THIS OPINION ARTICLE was Written by
Anas Nainnah

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