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Why Jonathan’s Almajiri school programme failed —Education minister, Adamu
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, on Thursday, explained why the Almajiri schools programme initiated by former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in the Northern part of Nigeria failed.
The Federal Government under Jonathan who was then the acting president began the construction of Model Tsangaya/Almajiri schools across the country in December 2009 in a bid to increase child enrolment in schools and check insecurity in Northern Nigeria.
Adamu, who spoke at the ministerial briefing held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the programme failed because of poor implementation.
He also accused some governors in the region of destroying education at the primary school level.
The minister said: “If you ask me, 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.
READ ALSO: FG’s N15 bn Tsangaya/Almajiri Schools rot away
“As I told you, there are now about six 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 problem we have in nomadic education is like the problem I had when I came with my journalistic exuberance into government. I believe an emergency will be declared.
“The way our primary schools are and I would like to say this about governors, especially in the northern states. It is as if they are looking for power to destroy education at the primary school level. Except for a few of them.”
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