We need to restructure almajiri system

The existence of human beings cannot be meaningful without education. Therefore, education is sacrosanct because it helps in transferring history, artefacts, culture and traditions of people from generations to generations. Efforts of parents to save huge amounts of money for their children are commendable but the best gift parents can give their children is education. It is only through education that people learn how best to worship God, how to relate cordially with others and equip themselves for the challenges that life might bring forth.

Education has been playing key roles in transforming the lives of people. It transfers learners from the darkness of illiteracy to an uninterrupted light of knowledge. The almajiri education system has been in existence for centuries. Many parents send out their children to acquire knowledge, unfortunately, some of the children are made to beg for survival. In the past, parents enrolled their children with items necessary to facilitate the studies but these days, children are just sent without anything. The parents do not even visit the clerics to know how the children are faring.

It has been discovered that many rural and poor families that cannot afford formal education enroll their children in almajiri schools. Most of the teachers are after what they can get through donations and nongovernmental organisations’ interventions, not what they can impact in the children. In some states, you find almajirai roaming the streets, begging. In that process, some of them become thugs, illicit drug users and engage in other crimes.

Some parents send their children to almajiri schools due high number of children in their homes and the inability to carter to their needs. Some enroll their stubborn children into almajiri schools to ease tension at home. Skyrocketing level of poverty is another reason why some parents send their children to far places in the name of seeking religious education.

Parents should bear in mind that God will judge them in the hereafter on how they delivered their responsibilities of providing food, clothing, education, both religious and western, to all members of their family. Secondly, almajiri school teachers should learn to treat the children with love and care. Begging should be stopped and parents should be mandated to supply their children with food and money for upkeep.

Traditional and religious leaders have key roles to play in bringing changes to the system, by making sure they regularly remind parents about their responsibilities. Recent move by government to merge almajiri education with modern education is also commended and should be encouraged.

Mukhtar Garba Kobi sent in this piece.