From Ahmed SAKA, Bauchi
Gombe State Government has expressed its readiness to build model Tsangaya School that will accommodate 11,000 Almajiri and partner with National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) on certification of Almajiri by giving him a certificate from the board once he memorized the Holy Qur’an as part of its effort to transform Almajiri System of Education.
Project Coordinator of the Gombe State Better Education Service Delivery for All BESDA, Dr Abdullahi Bappah Ahmad Garkuwa stated this in a statement signed by the Technical Assistant to the Project Coordinator Usman Usman Dankyarana.
He said the aim of the visit is to invite them for a summit on Tsangaya education organized by the State Government and to seek for collaboration with NBAIS to start issuing certificates to any Almajiri that memorized the Holy Qur’an from Tsangaya be it model or traditional Tsangaya School, to enable the Almajiri to have a certificate of furthering their education in any tertiary institution in the country.
Dr Garkuwa said Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya is committed to repositioning Almajiri system of education in the State, he intends to establish 11 Tsangaya model schools that will accommodate 1000 Almajiri in each local government, which is first of its kind in the country, and will help to sustain the BESDA project on integration Almajiri to continue with their education.
He explained that BESDA programme is a four year Federal Government/World Bank-funded project aimed at mopping up out of school children to improve literacy and Gombe State has gone far under the programme.
Project Coordinator told NBAIS officials that under the BESDA Programme, out of school girl child, mostly hawkers between the ages of 5-15 years were enrolled in schools and Tsangaya Proprietors have started receiving their monthly allowances, feeding and provision of both learning and instructional materials was given to pupils enrolled into the programme.
Dr Garkuwa announced that Gombe State Government planned a two days National Summit on Almajiri education in Gombe on 24th – 25th July 2020 and invited the NBAIS to attend the summit.
Receiving the team, Dr Abubakar Sani Husain, Director Centre for Tsangaya and General Education at the NBAIS explained that NBAIS was founded by Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto in 1960 before it was transferred to Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in 1969.
Dr Abubakar said The Board has undergone series of positive transformation. Firstly, as a Board for the Northern part of Nigeria only with few Schools and Colleges under its tutelage.
Currently, with the recognition and approval of National Council on Education (NCE) at its 57th meeting held at Sokoto in February 2011, the Board as a National Examination and Regulatory Body cover the whole nation with over 900 recognized schools and colleges.
He said the vision of NBAIS is to realize the ambition of the Federal Government in its programme for the full integration of western Islamic education, the promotion of Qur’anic Schools and the Madrasah Islamiyyah Schools in the Country.
Dr Abubakar said that if not because of the COVID-19 pandemic they have the plan to visit all the 36 states of the country on advocacy and organized seminars and workshops for all stakeholders in Almajiri and Tsangaya education.
He added that the Federal Government has built a centre for Tsangaya education under NBAIS and part of their mandate is to issue certificates to Almajiri Schools, and under this, it was divided into two, one for people that memorized Qur’an in modern Tsangaya Schools and second for Pupils that memorized Quran in traditional Tsangaya schools.
Dr Abubakar said that by the grace of Allah, Gombe State will be the first to receive the certificate and assured them of NBAIS full support and cooperation of the Board.
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