Taraba Opens 52 Learning Centres For Almajiri, Nomadic Children

Taraba State government has established 52 Integrated Qur'anic Tsangaya Education Centres (IQSEC) as part of its efforts to expand access to education, strengthen the Almajiri system and improve learning outcomes among vulnerable children in the state.

The state commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Augustina Godwin, told newsmen in Jalingo, the state capital, stressed the importance of the ongoing initiatives to integrate Almajiri and nomadic children into the formal education system.

Godwin said that because education is a critical component of the current administration's development plan, a Department for Nomadic and Almajiri Education had been created, headed by a director under the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to actualise its goal.

"As a government, the Almajiri system of education is important to us, which is why we have given it the attention it deserves.

"Beyond other integration efforts, we have built two model schools, one in Jalingo and another in Mutum Biyu, where Almajiri children receive both Qur'anic and Western education," she said.

According to her, some beneficiaries of the programme have progressed to secondary school and beyond.

Godwin explained that, in addition to the model schools, the state operates 52 IQSEC centres in various communities.

"At the centres, SUBEB deploys teachers to provide Western education alongside traditional Qur'anic instruction," she added.

The commissioner admitted that more still needs to be done to expand access and to scale up interventions across the state.

"We are trying, but it is not enough. We need to expand and scale up our activities to accommodate more children and increase the number transitioning to secondary schools," she said.

The commissioner revealed that the ministry, in collaboration with key stakeholders, recently reviewed the national policy on Almajiri education with a view to domesticating it in Taraba State.

"At the end of our deliberations, a 3-man committee was constituted to examine the policy document and recommend how it can be adapted and implemented in the state.

"The director of Nomadic Education has also submitted a proposal outlining the way forward for," she said.