The Kano State Government, Tuesday, banned street begging, threatening to deal with parents and guardians who flouted the new order.
The government stated that the move was to actualize the free and compulsory primary and secondary schools education, and the integration of the Almajiri System into the policy.
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje announced the ban during the launching of Basic Education Service Delivery for All(BESDA) and distribution of offers of appointment to 7,500 volunteer teachers, held yesterday in Kano.
Ganduje said: “This policy of free and compulsory basic education goes along with the integration of our Almajiri System into the mainstream policy implementation, which suggests that English and Arithmetic be included in the Almajiri School Curriculum.”
According to him, this would go a long way in exposing the children to other types of education. He added that, while learning English and Arithmetic, the children would continue with their study of the Holy Qur’an.
He explained that such integration would give the children an opportunity to continue with their studies to secondary schools and beyond.
The governor seized the opportunity to disclose that a total of 7,500 newly recruited teacher volunteers under the BESDA programme had been employed and given letters of appointment.
He said: “They’ll be posted to Islamiyyah and Almajiri schools so that our Almajiri schools will be fully integrated under our new policy on education.”
He warned that henceforth, any Almajiri teacher withsuch pupils under Almajiri school arrangement must accept the new approach put in place by the state government, stressing: “If you think you cannot accept that, then you have to leave the state. If any child is caught begging, his or her parents or guardians will be arrested and arraigned in court for disrespecting our laws.”
According to him, the 7,500 volunteers were graduates of National Certificate of Education (NCE), who came from the 44 local government communities in the state.
The Chairman of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Danlami Hayyo, revealed that aside from construction of new classes and renovations of many, SUBEB has been able to produce 16, 327 3-Seater chairs for the schools.
