Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has placed a ban on street begging in the state.
Ganduje, who issued the ban on Tuesday, also said the state government would commence arrest of parents of street beggars, known otherwise as Almajiris, who are caught in the act.
A statement by Ganduje’s media aide, Abba Anwar, said the governor gave the order during the launch of the Basic Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) and the distribution of appointment letters to 7,500 volunteer teachers at the Sani Abacha Stadium in the state.
Advertisement
The move, according to the Ganduje administration, was to integrate the Almajiri system and Islamiyya schools into the secular education system, as well as increase school enrolment in the state.
“Those children who are begging will be arrested and their parents will be taken to court for allowing their children to be begging instead of attending school.
“This policy of free and compulsory basic and secondary education goes along with it integration of our Almajiri system into the mainstream policy implementation.
“Which suggests that, English and Arithmetic must be included in the Almajiri schools curricullum.
“This would go a long way in giving the kids other type of education and continue acquiring their study of the Holy Qur’an, they would at the same time learn English and Mathematics.
“That will give them an opportunity to continue with their studies to secondary schools and beyond,” said the governor.
He said that the 7,500 newly recruited volunteer teachers under the BESDA programme would be posted to Islamiyyah and Almajiri schools.
Ganduje warned that henceforth any Almajiri teacher with such pupils under Almajiri school arrangement must accept the new approach put in place by the state government.