THE ALMAJIRI EDUCATION SYSTEM'S IMPACT ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Education, as widely recognized around the world, is the key that opens the door to growth. Knowledge is the bedrock upon which a country's social cohesion and economic prosperity are built. Education boosts an individual's talents. It is a method for promoting engaged citizenry; individuals who are denied the right to education risk a future with fewer opportunities. For example, UNESCO (2010) believes that meaningful education as a right is critical for achieving social justice, since those who are marginalized in school face low future prospects, limiting their involvement in social processes that impact them.

On that basis, successive Nigerian administrations have established inclusive policies aimed at ensuring that every kid has access to education as a fundamental right. However, it is precisely because of this insight that the Federal Government of Nigeria established the Ministerial Committee on Madrasah Education on 16th February 2010. According to the Committee's assessment, there were about 9 million Almajirai in the country. Following the committee's report's submission, the Government established an implementation committee for the Almajiri Education Program, tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that the more than 9 million Almajirai be incorporated into the UBE Program as quickly as feasible. This resulted in the establishment of Almajiri model schools in various parts of the country as part of former president Jonathan's educational system (Dukku, 2010).

Additionally, Almajiri was viewed as one of the major difficulties confronting social scientists in Nigeria and maybe some of the governing class in the northern region of the country in recent times. This is because an excessive number of out-of-school children endangers not just social cohesiveness but also active citizenship. It fosters social marginalization and anti-social behavior in kids and adults, impeding the achievement of Education for All (EFA), the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and other international agreements and protocols. Its operations in the north have influenced government objectives (Dukku, 2010).

The Almajiri system is a sort of religious education in which a little child, often younger than 15 years old, is sent to another area of the village, town, or nation to study about Islam (Sule – Kano, 2013). Without food, school fees, or boarding supplies, he is expected to fend for himself through street begging. Over a thousand years, this practice has been inextricably linked to people's way of life, playing a critical part in the transmission of moral and religious ideals, as well as discipline and increased literacy in society. According to Dukku (2010), the majority of pre-colonial and twentieth-century northern Nigeria's notable Islamic scholars were products of the system. This centuries-old practice not only harmed people's literacy and cognitive development, but also contributed to the region's low socioeconomic growth. To the degree that many individuals have recently expressed their unhappiness with the Almajiri system idea in the northern area via print and electronic media. The issues that illiteracy, poverty, and child labor have created have grown at an alarming rate. Despite the system's strong cultural and religious impact in the northern area, studies have revealed that the Almajiri system's socioeconomic and political foundations have failed.

Although Binta (2006) asserted that Almajiris seldom engage in looting, murder, and property destruction during social disturbances, they have been observed engaging in protest marches and rallies planned for political and religious causes. For example, in 1980, the maitatsine insurrection had significant support from Almajirai in Kano, Gombe, Yola, and Maiduguri (Ya'u, 2013).

The upshot of the foregoing is that the region's economic growth has been harmed as a result of the widespread prevalence of Almajiri syndrome in northern Nigeria. As a result, it eliminates the imperative for progress. Rather of fostering children's potential, the method subjects them to neglect, abuse, and hidden destitution. The difficulty now transcends comprehension of what is happening to these children and the development of proper policies capable of resolving the issue. It is beginning to have an effect on Islamic teachings, as many increasingly question if Almajirci is an integral element of Islam or merely a consequence of socioeconomic alteration of societal norms in the old school system. On the one hand, the Almajiri will continue to expand into urban areas in the hope of fulfilling his traditional role as a conduit for alms giving. On the other hand, metropolitan inhabitants oriented toward the west will continue to feel that ALmajiri has no place in modern regions.

Numerous persons feel that with sufficient effort on the part of the government and populace, these youngsters could be rescued from their current socioeconomic and cultural deterioration in the pursuit of Qu'ranic education (UBEC, 2010). This study seeks to ascertain the reasons and determine if the Almajiri system of education is effective at producing knowledge and skills, and therefore capable of addressing the educational demands of the teeming young people it enrolls during the current economic change.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Almajiris in ragged clothes, bowl in hand, seeking food and charity in the streets of our main urban areas has become a subject of worry for governments and the general public in recent years. According to Wike (2013), Nigeria has a high rate of out-of-school children, estimated at 10.5 million, with Almajiris accounting for nearly 9 million of this total. These youngsters are primarily located in northern Nigeria. Educating young children to be "Manicurists," "Shoe-shiners," or "Water-vendors" might pose a severe danger to national security and social cohesiveness, as well as to active citizenship. With the recent series of sectarian crises plaguing the northern area, there is concern that this critically neglected segment of our young people, if allowed unchecked, would be drawn into these crises.

Despite the government's constitutional obligations and a sizable financial commitment from the international community, the frequency of Almajiri syndrome is increasing (El-miskin, 2007).

Numerous research have been conducted by various experts to determine the core causes of Almjirci and the urgency of addressing it. Sule-Kano (2013), El-Miskin (2007), Binta (2006), and Wike (2013), to name a few, yet the void remains unfilled.

Thus, this study will look at the economic contributions of the Almajiri school system in the study region.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main aim of this study is to examine the almajiri education system's impact on economic development. Specifically, other objectives of this study are:

i.          To determine the extent of almajiri practice in Nigeria.

ii.        To determine whether the almajiri practice has impacted on Nigeria’s economic development.

iii.      To examine the impact of the almajiri system of education in Nigeria.

iv.      To proffer ways of enhancing the almajiri system of education in Nigeria.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions will be answered in this study;

i.          What is the extent of almajiri practice in Nigeria?

ii.        Has the almajiri practice impacted on Nigeria’s economic development?

iii.      What are the impacts of the almajiri system of education in Nigeria?

iv.      What are the ways of enhancing the almajiri system of education in Nigeria?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This research will be very beneficial and valuable not just to academics, but also to public administration and the community at large, particularly in starting more realistic policies in the future.

Additionally, it will act as a repository of knowledge and a source of information for policymakers, the ministry of education, and stakeholders in the northern area, enabling them to adopt a realistic approach to the almajiri’s system of education and the  region's development.

In terms of empirical importance, the data gathered throughout this research will act as a counterpoint to non-empirical evidence or assertions regarding what Almajiri symbolizes. Additionally, this study will contribute to the corpus of information regarding the Almajiri system and its direct impact on the lives of the people of Yobe State in particular and Nigeria in general.

Finally, it will act as a catalyst and provide firsthand information to an aspiring researcher considering doing a similar study.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The main focus of this study is on the almajiri education system's impact on economic development. Precisely, this study’s objectives are focused on determining the extent of almajiri practice in Nigeria, determining whether the almajiri practice has impacted on Nigeria’s economic development, examining the impact of the almajiri system of education in Nigeria and proffering ways of enhancing the almajiri system of education in Nigeria.

Stakeholders and former beneficiaries of the almajiri system of education in Yobe State will be the respondents of the survey in this study.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The main focus of this study is limited to the almajiri education system's impact on economic development. Precisely, this study’s objectives are limited to determining the extent of almajiri practice in Nigeria, determining whether the almajiri practice has impacted on Nigeria’s economic development, examining the impact of the almajiri system of education in Nigeria and proffering ways of enhancing the almajiri system of education in Nigeria.

Stakeholders and former beneficiaries of the almajiri system of education in Yobe State will be the respondents of the survey in this study, thus the sample size was limited because only a few respondents were chosen to answer the research instrument, therefore the results cannot be generalized to other secondary schools outside the area.

The researcher also encountered some financial and logistics problems but was able to resolve it as this study was successfully completed.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Impact: A marked effect or influence.

Almajiri: Under the Almajiri system, parents send their children, mostly boys aged 4-12, to distant locations to acquire Qur'anic education. Many rural and poor families who can't afford formal schooling have made this choice.

Economic development: It is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and objectives.

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