Bashir Ahmad, a former media aide to ex-President Muhammad Buhari, has argued that Almajiri should not be seen as out-of-school children but rather as a system of Islamic education to be incorporated into the country’s educational framework.
He stated this via a tweet on X that has sparked reactions from Nigerians.
His response follows a statement made by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Saidu, who claims that Almajiri children should not be classified as out-of-school children.
“The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Saidu, is absolutely correct that Almajiri children should not be classified as out-of-school children, as the Almajiri is a system of Islamic education.
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“However, I believe the best way to address this is by integrating the Almajiri education system into our national educational framework or ensuring it is officially recognized by the system. Once this is achieved, the northern states could become those with the lowest numbers of out-of-school children, as it is rare to find a child in the north who does not attend either formal or Islamic school.
“Almajiri children are visible on the streets primarily because the current system does not adequately provide for their needs. If Almajiri schools were given treatment in terms of support and structure similar to that of boarding schools, the narrative would change entirely,” Bashir tweeted.
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