By: Monday Danladi , Bauchi
Bauchi state Government has concluded arrangements to incorporate Western Education into the Islamiyya and Tsangaya schools in an effort to enhance the quality of education in the state.
Consequently, the Ministry of Education on Wednesday, inaugurated a Technical Committee on Tsangaya and Islamiyya Schools with the aim of ensuring coordinated activities in the education sector.
The Committee was inaugurated by the Commissioner of Education, Dr Muhammed Lawal Rimin-Zayam at the Conference Hall of the Ministry.
According to him, the move was in line with the Federal Government’s newly established structures for the integration of non-formal education for effective management.
The Commissioner stated that, “We want to address the issue of out-of-school children and this idea came as a result of a round table meeting so as to see how we can work together and find a lasting solution to the issue of out-of-school children in the state.”
According to him, “We also want those in these schools to have formal teachings. Apart from the Islamic form of education, it is high time that they get integrated into the Western education.”
He stressed that, “In the Islamiyya and Tsangaya schools, it is hoped that from now on, Western education will be incorporated into their curriculum.”
“One of the terms of reference of the committee is to ensure proper implementation of guidelines and ensure that what is meant for the integration of Western education into the curriculum is incorporated and adopted as agreed upon,” he said.
The commissioner also explained that the committee would also ensure that the ministry has an accurate number of pupils in the annual school census.
He called on parents and guardians to take advantage of the investment the state government is putting in education to send their children to school.
“We are advocating that every child go back to the classroom, be it Islamiyya or Western form of education and our major concern is to ensure that our Western form of education is integrated in our Islamiyya schools,” he reiterated.
Also speaking, Nasir Ala, Chairman, House Committee on Education, State House of Assembly, lauded the establishment of the Committee, saying that it was a welcomed development in the education system.
According to him, “Personally, I felt overwhelmed because on November 18, 2024, I presented a motion on the floor of the state House of Assembly and it got a wider acceptance as all members of the house supported it.”
He stressed that, “That motion called on the Executive Arm of government to remodel Quranic and Tsangaya schools to integrate foundation literacy, numeracy and vocational education or training in their curriculum.”
The Legislator added that, “This is because going by the trend of the day, we in the Northern part of the country have already accepted Islamic education and some parts of West and North Africa have also accepted it.”
He also stated that, “But what will worry you here in Nigeria is that we fail to accommodate that traditional Tsangaya and Quranic school model in our Western education as formal education.”
“And this has dented the image of us Northerners that our Quranic and Tsangaya pupils are just out-of-school children and this is because they are not formally recognised,” he said.
He however stated that, it was due to the absence of their incorporation and integration into the Western education that the disparities exist.
