“Children of all social classes should be given equal educational opportunities to the level of their personal abilities…” Said Philosopher Plato. If any nation will witness development then the education of her people must be a priority. In Nigeria, it is obvious that the Almajiris’ children are educationally backward.
These are children with no homes, while many have no parents, some cannot feed themselves but earn a living by begging on the streets. They learn Arabic literacy from Islamic scholars whom they donate their tokens to after street beggings. Some even turned to pickpocketers and snatchers in bus stops or markets.
The National Council for the Welfare of Destitute (NCWD) puts the current population of the Almajirai at about 7 million. These are seven million talented Nigerians wasting away while the government act lackadisically. If these children are put on equal pedestrian with the rest of the children on western education packages, I strongly believed they can become engineers, lawyers, business tycoons, entrepreneurs and many other professionals.
As a matter of fact, the Almajiri system of Education in Northern Nigeria lack good teachers and conducive environment. The standards are very low and the suffering of these pupils are unprecedented.
Historically speaking, the colonial structure of Almajiri system allows them to learn trades such as farming, fishing, masonry, among others. Many were the farmers whose produced groundnut for the whitemen. And some were recruited by the British as miners in Jos.
The system also produced the judges, clerks, and teachers who provided the colonial administration with the needed staff. The first set of colonial staff in Northern Nigeria was provided by the almajiri schools.
Unfortunately the the coming of British government, led to the capture of Emir Aliyu of Kano and the death of Muhammadu Attahiru of Sokoto. This was how they lost control of Northern states to the British. They also lost fundamental control of education. The British later scrapped the Almajiri system with an excuse that they were religious schools. They eventually introduced western education to them but with no result for the homeless children.
The pupils, and their Mallams, having no financial support, resorted to begging for survival. This habit still continue till date but the government of Musa Yar’ Adua, Jonathan and Buhari’s administrations have been trying their best yet more are still expected.
In Islam, Girl child education is just as important as boys’ education, and education is the fundamental right of all citizens irrespective of race or tribe or background. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is known for the statement that “Education is compulsory for both male and female believers”.
Our government should wake up from their slumber and see the predicaments of Almajiris’ children as a battle for all. If we fail to give them the right type of education, they may become threat to peace and harmony in the country. Most of the Boko-Haram and Kidnappers of today were formerly peoples with no homes. It however better to skill our population so as not to kill the nation.
The children you denied education today might denied the life of generations tomorrow. If we leave them useless they may became useful for politicians who want to recruit thugs for electioneering or they may become self-made soldiers for terrorist organisations across the world.
My dear country people, helping one Almajiri child is as helping 10 children yet unborn. While helping 10 is as helping a generation of unborn. The more their population explode, the higher the security challenge of the nation.
I conclude that “education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world” said Nelson Mandela. It is the right of all regardless of background. Everyone should therefore join hands together to skill these innocent pupils instead of killing their future. Almajiris’ children are talented, they are bright and they are our future. Thus deserve better education.
By Afeez Ganiyu (Afox)
Independent Researcher
