The Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje on Tuesday announced a ban on street begging by children popularly referred to as Almajiris.
The governor’s spokesperson, Abba Anwar, in a statement said the effort was to fully consolidate the free and compulsory primary and secondary schools education in the state.
Mr Anwar said the decision was meant to integrate the Almajiri system into the policy and address the lingering problem of street begging.
Mr Ganduje warned that henceforth, Almajiri teachers must accept the new approach put in place by the state government.
“If almijiri teacher thinks he cannot accept the new policy he has to leave the state,” he said.
“When Almajiri are caught begging, it is not only that beggar is caught, but his parents or guardians. Such parents or guardians would be taken to court to face the wrath of the law,” Mr Anwar quoted his principal as saying in the statement.
According to the statement, the governor announced the decision during the launching of Basic Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) and Distribution of Offer of Appointment to 7,500 volunteer teachers, held at Sani Abacha Stadium.
“This policy of free and compulsory basic and secondary education goes along with its integration of our Almajiri system into the mainstream policy implementation. This suggests that English and Arithmetic must be included in the Almajiri schools curriculum,” the governor said.
This, according to him, will give those children other types of education, while they will continue acquiring their knowledge of the Holy Qur’an.
“That will give them an opportunity to continue with their studies to secondary schools and beyond,” the governor highlighted.
At the event, 7,500 newly recruited teacher volunteers under the BESDA programme were given letters of appointment.
“They will be posted to Islamiyyah and Almajiri schools, so that our Almajiri schools would be fully integrated under our new policy of education,” the statement added.
