Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has ordered the arrest of street beggers who refused to go to school.
Ganduje gave the order on Tuesday in Kano during the launch of Basic Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) and distribution of Offer of Appointment letter to 7,500 volunteer teachers at Sani Abacha Stadium.
The Kano State government has a policy of compulsory free basic and secondary education for residents, including the integration of the Islamiyya schools into the secular education system.
“Those children who are begging will be arrested and their parents will be taken to court for allowing their children to be begging instead of attending school.
“This policy of free and compulsory basic and secondary education goes along with the integration of our Almajiri system into the mainstream policy implementation.
“Which suggests that, English and Arithmetic must be included in the Almajiri schools curricullum.
“This would go a long way in giving the kids other type of education and continue acquiring their study of the Holy Qur’an; they would at the same time learn English and Mathematics.
“That will give them an opportunity to continue with their studies to secondary schools and beyond,” he explained.
He said that the 7,500 newly recruited volunteer teachers under the BESDA programme would be posted to Islamiyyah and Almajiri schools, so that the schools would be fully integrated under new policy of education.
Ganduje warned that henceforth any Almajiri teacher with such pupils under Almajiri school arrangement must accept the new approach put in place by the state government.
He also added that the government education policy had increase school enrolment from 2.5 million to 3.8 million.
The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, commended the effort of the state government in the education sector, adding that what the state is doing under the new policy was exemplary.
Adamu, who was represented by a Director in the ministry, Mrs Aisha Liman, also commended the governor for his stride in the education sector.
The Chairman of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Danlami Hayyo, revealed that apart from construction of new classes and renovation of many, they were able to produce 16,327 3-seater chairs for the schools.
Hayyo also said that the state government has renovated 220 classrooms and built 270.
At the ceremony, the governor also distributed instructional materials worth millions of Naira to schools in the state. (NAN)
