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How Ex-President Jonathan’s Almajiri Programme For Northern States Failed – Nigerian Government

How Ex-President Jonathan’s Almajiri Programme For Northern States Failed – Nigerian Government
August 18, 2022

The minister bemoaned the fact that some Northern State governors were "damaging" primary school education through their management methods.

The Almajiri schools programme launched in the Northern region by the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration was a failure because it was not effectively carried out, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu said on Thursday.

It would be recalled that Jonathan had stated in February 2022 that the goal of starting the Almajiri schools programme in the North was to incorporate Western educational curricula into Islamic education to help students become employable and stop ongoing unrest and turmoil.

In addition, Jonathan had noted that education was still the key to changing the nation and that it was the foundation of his vision and philosophy for growth.

However, Adamu, who was present at the 47th State House Ministerial Media Briefing, which was held at the Presidential in Abuja, claimed that the idea behind how the school would be operated was flawed.

He said, “I think the conception of Almajiri schools and how to run them were not properly done by the government we inherited. But I know right now they are being incorporated into our schools.

“As I told you, there are now about 6 million out-of-school children, probably some of them who are trooping here (Abuja), but certainly there should be government policy to stop the movement of almajiri or almajirai, as they’re called in Hausa, a provision should be made for instructing them wherever they are.”

The minister bemoaned the fact that some Northern State governors were "damaging" primary school education through their management methods.

In response to an inquiry about nomadic education, he said the programme had met the same demise as the foundational education in many northern states.

He said, “The problem we have in nomadic education is like the problem I had when I came with my journalistic exuberance into government. I believed an emergency will be declared

“But on reflection, not by me, but by the government, we found that declaring the emergency is more of a matter for states. And so, my effort was directed at the states. When I presented my memo to the Council, I was asked to go and present it to the National Economic Council. And I presented the paper three times trying to convince state governments to see the wisdom in declaring emergency at least in the primary schools. And then that will strengthen the hand of the federal government even if by way of intervention to help the states to rescue primary schools.”

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Education