Between parental care and almajiri system

Wikipedia describes parental care as the “parental investment provided by a male animal to his own offspring. Paternal care may be provided in concert with the mother (biparental care) or, more rarely, by the male alone (so-called exclusive paternal care).” Parental care should be given to a child until he reaches the age of puberty […]

Wikipedia describes parental care as the “parental investment provided by a male animal to his own offspring. Paternal care may be provided in concert with the mother (biparental care) or, more rarely, by the male alone (so-called exclusive paternal care).”
Parental care should be given to a child until he reaches the age of puberty and he can take care of himself.
The almajiri education system is practiced in the North of Nigeria and many societies in West Africa. It is officially called the tsangaya system. Under this practice, a father sends his son to a distant land in order to study the Qur’an.
Similarly, in South East Asia we have the monks, and parents take their male children to a monastery in order to serve their   ‘Buddha.”
Until 1990s, countries like Sudan still practiced the almajiri system, albeit a different name. In Hausa land, only the boys get send away, not the girls. A father sends his child with provisions to sustain him during his learning period.
The father however finds a time to visit the child before the child completes his 10 years of study or his education journey. Literacy is defined as the ability to read and write (UN). So the tsangaya students are literate. Also it is pertinent to add that the UN article clearly states that parents have the right to choose what kind of knowledge they want their children to receive.
The tsangaya practice was started in good faith. But as the years went by, due to neglect and lack of regulation in the Nigeria’s education system, decay set in. The almajiri students sent to study is converted by his teacher into a labourer or beggar.
Some of these boys who are as young as eight are abandoned and forced to cater for themselves. 
The government should, therefore, regulate and support the system because, at the end of the day, the almajirai do not have time for their studies.
And, regrettably, they tend to forget their family backgrounds, and or engage in other illicit activities due to lack of proper mentorship.
Of course, parental care is mandatory, just as education and religion are compulsory. Parents must take care of their children. In some religions, failure to care of your children is a serious crime that can land one in trouble.
Education is compulsory and there is no compromise. But parents should consider all factors before sending their children as young as four to a distant land to learn.
Now that there are so many affordable religious education centres like the Islamiyyah schools, parents should educate their children in areas close to them. That is how you can monitor your child. A parent must know the friends, problems, likes and dislikes of their child.
There is also the need for government’s intervention. Government’s free education policy should include all tsangaya students and their teachers. Government can promulgate laws and give directions on how to handle the issues.  

Jari writes from Katsina