Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has ordered the arrest of street beggers who refused to go to school.
Ganduje gave the order on Tuesday in Kano during the launch of Basic Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) and distribution of offer of appointment to 7,500 volunteer teachers at Sani Abacha Stadium.
Kano government runs a policy of compulsory free basic and secondary education for residents, including the integration of the Islamiyya schools into the secular education system.
“Those children who are begging will be arrested and their parents will be taken to court for allowing their children to be begging instead of attending school,” the governor said.
“This policy of free and compulsory basic and secondary education goes along with it integration of our Almajiri system into the mainstream policy implementation.
“Which suggests that, English and Arithmetic must be included in the Almajiri schools curricullum.
“This would go a long way in giving the kids other type of education and continue acquiring their study of the Holy Qur’an, they would at the same time learn English and Mathematics.
“That will give them an opportunity to continue with their studies to secondary schools and beyond.”
He added that 7,500 newly recruited volunteer teachers under the BESDA programme would be posted to Islamiyyah and Almajiri schools.
According to the governor, his administration’s education policy has increased school enrolment from 2.5 million to 3.8 million.
Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, who was represented by a director in the ministry, Aisha Liman, commended the government’s effort in the sector.
Chairman of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Danlami Hayyo, said that apart from construction of new classes and renovation of many, they produced 16,327 three-seater chairs for the schools.
He also said the state government had renovated 220 classrooms and built 270.
