From.Ahmed SAKA, Bauchi who visited Gombe
Gombe State Governor Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa has laid the foundation of building Tsangaya mega School under the Better Education Service Delivery for All BESDA programme in the State.
Laying the foundation ceremony of Almajiri MEGA school at Tsangayar Goni Sani (Universitin Almajirai). Its one of the largest Tsangaya School in West Africa, some call it University of Harji. Today Thursday Governor Yahaya reiterated the commitment of his administration to transform tsangaya education in the State.
Immediately after laying the foundation ceremony Governor Yahaya held an interactive session with traditional Qur’anic School Teachers in Gombe State.
The theme of the interactive session is : towards transforming tsangaya system to the needs of the 21st century.
Governor Yahaya said the aim of the interactive session is to equipped the tsangaya teachers to improve their skills in order to meet the needs of teaching in the 21st century as part of effort to transform the system.
Governor Yahaya reiterated the commitment of his administration to transforming the education sector in the state, and commended the successes recorded under BESDA programme in the state.
He said “under the BESDA programme, 676 learning centers for boys and girls pupils were established, 170,000 pupils and girl-child enrolled in the centers and 1600 NCE teachers were employed to teach western education in the state and 15,000 thousand tsangaya School proprietors receive allowances and government is working to improve the allowances of the Alarammas”
He commended traditional Qur’anic School owners for their support to the programme.
Governor Yahaya said many Islamic countries countries came with policies that ease the learning process in tsangaya schools , their students learn both western and Islamic Education.
He said we should focus and takes what is good that concerns us and leave what is not good that doesn’t concern us.
Governor Yahaya said We value and cherish traditional tsangaya education is the oldest but because of modernisation we have to do our best to improve them to attain the highest standard.
Governor said in the new schools the pupils and students apart from learning Quranic memorization we introduce teaching of English and arithmetic to learn western education.
The Governor recalled that “UNICEF said we have 550 out of school children, but I said their number is highest than that ,because there are areas they didn’t visit even in that areas we have many out of school children that they didn’t count.
He called on traditional community and religious leaders ,parents, pupils and the society in order to succeed.
Mrs Amina Buba Haruna coordinator BESDA at the Federal Ministry of Education commended the Gombe State government for transforming the almajiri system by giving the.Almajiri special recognition and change their status through BESDA programmers.
She said Almajiri are our children they are our children we need to support them interact with them and help them to get more brighter future.
Guest Speaker at the occasion Professor Bashir Galadanchi urged Tsangaya school owners to continue to embrace government policies and programmes aimed at developing the skills and capacity of their pupils towards improvement of standard of living.
Professor Bashir advised Qur’anic teachers and pupils to learn the skills they need to succeed in tomorrow’s competitive world by rethinking yesterday’s teaching practices.
The scholar urged government and the society to support Quranic schools to enable them excel in today’s society, even as he urged government to provide social amenities to its citizenry.
Gombe State Project Coordinator of BESDA Dr Abdullahi Bappah Ahmed Garkuwa commended Governor Muhammed Inuwa Yahaya for his support towards the development of education in the state.
Dr Garkuwa advised participants to cooperate more with laudable programmes of BESDA to improve the education of their children.
Dr Garkuwa stressed the importance of seeking for Quranic education and urged the Tsangaya school proprietprs to embrace all educational programmes that come for the development of society.
He said western education introduced in schools under BESDA programmes are aimed at providing technical and skilled knowledge that will improve the living standard of the society.
