Ethics and practice of Almajiri institutions

Ethics and practice of Almajiri institutions.

Yahuza Rabiu Garba
Public commentator.

Islam came to what is today Nigeria through North Africans Berbers and itenarant  scholars aimed at islamizing the subsaharan region (Vilad Sudan) and further strengthen by the kenem rulers who went on pilgrimage to mecca. They had contact with scholars through correspondence with Tuniisia in the magrib and a lot of commercial and intellectual or education development came to exist.

Kenem Borno became center of learning where famous scholars form various learning centers came. Islamic schools were modeled after those found in other Muslims countries.

The Almajiri system of education in Nigeria particularly here need reformation with regard to the teachers.l, parents and the pupils themselves.  This left them poor and uncharted for they mainly depend on charity. The pupils in the Almajiri system of education also ream about begging instructed. The pupils in the system were neglected and exposed to serious economic and social hazard. Which have negative implications on their educational well-being psychological feelings and future expecting. This is based on the following premises.

They were the tanners and shoe and bags maker in the old Sokoto empire. The cap weavers and toilors in Zaria city were said to be Almajiris.

Its important to note that many people criticize and condemn the system, of Almajiri education due to some problems associated with it. The condemnation is not in relation to the type of knowledge received by the pupils but due to some identified problems in it which include:

(1) Inadequate provision of feeding: The almajiri migrates without adequate provision for feeding, clothing, shelter, and essential human needs.

(2) Over population

(3) Lack of payment of salary

(4) Age: Pupils in Almajiri system of education are under assed.

(5) Method of discipline: The method of discipline in Almajiri school is not help in changing the pupils for better.
Also Sule (2002) Lamented that in Northern Nigeria the problems of Almajiri were manifested in various forms of social explosion like.
(1) Mai-tatsine crisis
(2) Yan daba phenomenon
(3) Area boys
(4) Y’an Daukar Amarya incidences (carrying people from home for rapture or killing)
(5) Boko Haram.

Almajirci became a perfect excuse for some parents to reduce the burden of rearing children and that the almajiri phenomenon proided the grounds for recruitment of masses of muslims children into all sorts of anti-social activities, mostly turned into beggars hawkers and wanderers. The almajiri were made to live in sorry state of learning and most of them live in condition of poor health mal-nutrition and squalor.
Islamic doctrine is condemning the begging and all sorts of immortality the poor situation may lead the Almajiris.

The Government too take much blame for not providing means of taking the Almajiris as indegines of Nigeria who needs equal access to justice and equality before the law and in government welfarism.

I'm also recommending the general populace to engage the Almajiris they have in their respective communities on small scale business to disengage them from all evil actions the poor situation may lead to.

Yahuza Rabiu Garba,
Public commentator, Damaturu Yobe State.
07063528889.