Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje has banned street begging by children popularly known as almajiri in the state.
Ganduje disclosed this on Tuesday during the launch of Basic Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) and distribution of offer of Appointment to 7,500 volunteer teachers at Sani Abacha Stadium.
The governor ordered the arrest of street beggers who refused to go to school, noting that the almajiri system would be fully integrated under the new policy of education in the state.
He stated that while almajiris will continue acquiring their study of the Holy Qur’an, they would at the same time learn English and Arithmetic.
“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.
“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.
“This policy of free and compulsory basic and secondary education goes along with it 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 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.
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