Kebbi Understudies Indonesia’s System Of Education For Almajiris

By Ayodele Oni

The Kebbi State Government has announced that it will adopt Indonesia’s method to tackle the issue of education for the almajiris.

The Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Alhaji Sani Aliyu, told newsmen  in Birnin Kebbi, that a State Government’s delegation recently visited Indonesia to learn from their system of education.

Aliyu said, ”Gov. Nasir had recently led a delegation to Indonesia on the invitation of Zakkat World Conference. We were there to see another form of education and that is education that is related to our Almajiri system of education.

He added that the Governor used the opportunity to strengthen partnership with the Indonesian Government on some useful sectors of the economy.

“We visited a lot of schools. Imagine, we saw a school with about 15,000 pupils and none of them is on the street begging for alms. The school is not being controlled 100 per cent by the government.

“It is being controlled by the community and the pupils are being taught different kinds of entrepreneurship and businesses. They work to maintain themselves, taking care of their feeding, accommodation, clothing and the rest.”

According to him,  some of the pupils were enrolled in the system from primary school, while some right from kindergarten stage to university stage, adding that some of them did not even know their parents.

“Those who knew their parents, they might not see their parents for a whole year when they are studying at the school, their parents may not visit them for a year. But if you see these children, they are healthy, happy and when you see them, you will think they are children of them

“They were all well taken care of. Even the meal they served us was the same meal these children are eating.

“I am telling you this so that you will know that we were not in Indonesia for just a mere visit, but to observe how their system is working for them and how we could tap for the best of our societal transformation.”

On whether Nigeria’s Muslim population contributed to the Almajiri challenge, the commissioner said, “Our population is never a challenge. This is when compared to Indonesia with over 95 per cent population of Muslims. It is the largest populated Muslim country in the world.

“It has the fourth largest Mosque in the world. They have many things Muslims across the world could emulate.”