Community leaders move to improve welfare of Almajiri pupils in Bauchi
By Ahmed Ahmed
Community leaders in Bauchi have expressed commitment to step up efforts to improve the welfare and security of Almajiri pupils in the state.
They made the commitment at the town hall dialogue meeting of Community and religious leaders organised by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC) with the support of Mac – Arthur Foundation in Bauchi.
They said that the move was to ensure that defaults in the areas of feeding the learners, deployment of basic education teachers, and welfare of the teachers should be corrected.
Dr. Muhammad Abdulkadir, Deputy Dean School of Islamic Studies, College for legal and Islamic Misau, in his presentation Said Almajiri is an Islamic system of education majorly practiced in northern Nigeria.
“The word Almajiri is an Arabic meaning a person who leaves his abode in search of Islamic knowledge. The knowledge that he/she will serve the Almighty Allah,” he said.
“The best way the government can end the Almajiri street begging is by finding all solutions by modernizing the system,
“It is not possible to eliminate the system as this will pose a threat to national security; it will be perceived as a fight against Islam, governments should reform the Almajiri system rather than banning it,” He said.
Dr. Abdulkadir called on the community leaders to complement government efforts by providing security and improving the welfare of the Almajiri pupils.
On his part, Alhaji Sulaiman Bashir, Village head of Dan Iya in Bauchi charged the community leaders and parents to provide food
“The Almajiri pupil engages in daily begging for food in order to survive. Under this practice, poor families from rural areas.
The Community leaders should endeavor to donate food items to the teachers and the pupils and also bring them closer
“This would improve their lives and put smiles into the lives of the teachers and the pupils,” Bashir said.
The ward head of Wuntin Dada, Alhaji Abass Abdulmumini stressed the need for motoring of the quranic teachers to avoid child labor activities.
He also charged against sending the pupils on faraway errands, adding that this would pose danger on the way.
