Two years of Sokoto’s Almajiri Integrated School

The school was commissioned in 2012 by President Goodluck Jonathan. The pioneer school was set up to cater for the three states of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara. It started with only 50 pupils but presently over 300 pupils are receiving both Qur’anic and western education lessions. While Qur’anic lessons start at 6 a.m after the […]

The school was commissioned in 2012 by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The pioneer school was set up to cater for the three states of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara. It started with only 50 pupils but presently over 300 pupils are receiving both Qur’anic and western education lessions. While Qur’anic lessons start at 6 a.m after the dawn prayer daily, the conventional education commences at 9 a.m.
Daily Trust gathered that the school is being run based on the Islamic calendar with Fridays and Saturdays observed as lesson-free days as against Saturdays and Sundays.
In spite of the wide spread awareness campaign on western education, there was uncertainty among the people of the state on whether the Almajiri School will succeed on its mandate or not, because of the distrust of some parents, especially in the rural areas.
However, a recent visit to the school by our reporter showed that there are fears that if appropriate steps are not taken without delay, the school would be taken over by the children of the well-to-do, though the principal of the school, Malam Ubaidullah Shehu has vowed to stick to the mission of the school that only the almajirai would be admitted.
“The pupils are real Almajirai, orphans and children of the destitute. The school was established to take care of children of these people and we will try to maintain the status quo. I can assure you, we will not allow children of the wealthy to infiltrate the school,” he assured.
It was gathered that the school has recorded tremendous growth within the two years of its existence. Its language library is equipped with computers programmed to aide language learning; there are classes for both tsangaya (Qur’anic) and western education; computer class and student hostels kept neat and clean.
Our reporter also observed that the pupils were also very much at home. They were looking calm and comfortable in the environment even though it was not similar to what they were used to in the traditional tsangaya or Qur’anic schools.
According to the principal, each student was given four sets of uniforms and one sandal by the state government. “Each student got a set of house wear, class uniform, tsangaya uniform and games wear; they were also given a pair of sandals and books all free of charge,” he said.
However, the school has no toilet and sports facilities and largely depends on a local reservoir for its water supply. This reservoir augments the overhead tank in supplying water for the pupils and staff.
Shehu explained why this problem persists in the school, saying “we are very careful in running the school. We are trying to avoid anything that will make the parents believe that we are bringing something unacceptable to their children.
 “You know, some parents also don’t like all these games. So we have to do it systematically by introducing them one after the other. We first started with football. We bought jerseys and balls for them and we have requested for more from the ministry.”
A 10-year-old Sulaiman Mainasara was brought to the school from Gwandu Local Government in Kebbi State. Mainasara said that they were given meals three times a day.
“We take koko (pap) and kosai (bean balls) in the morning, rice and beans during lunch and tuwo with either vegetable or okro soup as dinner and we eat to our satisfaction,” he said.
The pupils, our reporter also gathered, are given transport money popularly called “journey money” by the Sokoto State government at the end of each term.
Malam Umar Sahabi Ginga, father of one of  the students, spoke to Daily Trust about the school. He commended government for the initiative even though, he said, his child was not brought to Sokoto to acquire western education.
“I brought my child to Shuni to acquire Qur’anic education at an almajirai school but was handpicked on the street by the officials of the Sokoto State government and enrolled into the Integrated Almajiri School and he is now performing wonderfully in the school. I am now happy because the government is taking care of him and he is progressing educationally,” he said.
He therefore, called on the state government which is now the custodian of the school not to relent in maintaining the standard of the school and in improving the welfare of teachers which would translate into developing education sector in the state.