Foundation moves to transform Qur’anic education in Kano

The National Social Investment Office has partnered with Khalifa Dankadai Foundation (KDF) to transform the informal system of Qur’anic education in Kano state.

The initiative is aimed at changing the narratives and misconceptions surrounding Almajiri phenomenon by mainstreaming some basic subjects of western education into the Tsangaya Qur’anic schools, thereby improving communication skills and personal hygiene among the students of such schools in the state.

Project Director of the KDF, Malam Khalifa Usman Mustapha expressed concern over the narratives surrounding the Qur’anic school children most of whom are being labeled as Almajiri.

He said the programme, if fully implemented, would minimize the trend of influx of Qur’anic school children into the city, as it would provide them alternatives where children would be able to learn the Qur’an in their respective localities.

He said under the scheme the N-power volunteers would be drafted to Tsangaya schools to teach the children English language, Mathematics and personal hygiene.

“The entire almajiri education sector can be sanitized so that we can change the narrative that most of our northern children are out of school or begging on the street. So most of our advocacy is in educating and sensitizing the parents of these children in villages that the best education any child can get is under the care of his parents, in their community schools.”

In his address, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Social Investment Programme, who represented the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo at the official signing of memorandum of understanding in Kano, Barrister Ismail Ahmad called on parents to embrace the initiative, saying it was not a substitution to the extant system of Qur’anic education.

“Their fears have been that white people will indoctrinate their students or take the children away from the Qur’anic education, we told them that we are sons of the soil, and we will not in any way take away the attention of these children from their Quranic education.

The Dan-Amar of Kano and District Head of Doguwa, Alhaji Aliyu Umar Harazumi who represented the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, applauded the initiative and called on parents to take the education of their children with all seriousness.