A non-profit organisation, Khalifa Dankadai Charity (KDC) Foundation has developed a new curriculum to empower 6,000 “Almajiris’’ in six states.
The curriculum is applicable and designed to reform the Tsangaya (Almajiri) school system in Katsina, Kano, Niger, Jigawa, Zamfara, and Sokoto states, the founder, Alhaji Khalifa Ahmed-Dankadai, said.
He said the foundation selected 60 Tsangaya schools in the six states for a test run in the hope of expanding the curriculum to other schools.
“The curriculum is to establish a standardised, integrated, and skills-based learning system through the Community Library Project, which is implemented in collaboration with Nigerian government offices.
“The collaboration is with the federal, states, and local government councils and other relevant stakeholders with support from the U.S. embassy in Abuja.
“The purpose of the Community Library Project is to enable a platform for stakeholders to implement the model aimed at reforming the Almajiri system of education in northern Nigeria.
“This can be done through administering a skills-based curriculum and operational guidelines for standardisation of Tsangaya schools.
“It also aims at implementing integrated learning, skills development, and community value reorientation programmes in rural communities.
“This is aimed at addressing rural-urban Almajiri child migration.
“It is hoped that it will curb the undesirable flow of Almajiris in the northern region towards achieving a successful and sustainable reform,’’ Ahmed-Dankadai said.
He stressed that the foundation is focused on implementing high-impact and sustainable models for comprehensive and lasting “Almajirci’’ reforms.
According to him, a roundtable discussion held in Katsina on Tuesday was a significant component of the project because it is designed to be a strictly community-driven effort.
Ahmed-Dankadai added that the project also sought to engender more synergy and coherence between stakeholders to consolidate the impact of past and current efforts at Almajiri reform.
He said the roundtable discussion aimed at reviewing the major components of the project and the role of each stakeholder so as to establish a crystal clear and synergistic work structure.
AT the Tuesday roundtable, Special Assistant to Gov. Aminu Masari on higher education, Dr. Bashir Ruwan-Godiya, commended the efforts of the KDC.
He said the state government had been discussing with KDC on how to reform Tsangaya education in the northern parts of the country.
Ruwan-Godiya assured the foundation of the state government’s support to achieve its target of reforming Tsangaya schools in the state.
