Tsangaya schools advised to incorporate English, other subjects in curriculum

Tsangaya popularly known as ‘Almajiri schools’ have been advised to include English and some basic subjects of western education in addition to the teaching of Qur’anic education to their students.

The Grand Khadi of Bauchi state, Alhaji Dahiru Ningi, gave the advice in Bauchi on Sunday at the  commissioning of Tsangaya and Qur’anic Education Development Centre established by the coalition of Qur’anic teachers in Bauchi.

Ningi, who was represented by a Sharia court judge, Muhammed Othman El-Mainari, said that introducing some of the subjects in Tsangaya schools will provide the opportunity for pupils to learn both religious and western knowledge to relate with others in this century.

While speaking, an Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dan’azumi Tafawa Balewa, disclosed that payment of high registration and periodic fees in some modernised Islamic schools is preventing poor parents from enrolling their wards and prefer to send them to Almajiri schools where they would be taught free of charge.

According to him, the government needs to motivate Tsangaya teachers to transform the system and bring solution to child begging known as ‘almajirci’.

Tafawa Balewa noted that the late head of State General Sani Abacha initiated reforms in almajiri system of education.

He however lamented that apart from former President Goodluck Jonathan, no other government did pay attention to address the problems associated with the system.