ALMAJIRI SYSTEM AND THE FALLING OF THE NORTHERN FAMILY
ALMAJIRI SYSTEM AND THE FALLING OF THE
NORTHERN FAMILY
By Saeed Kamalu Bako
The almajiri system of education as practise
today in the northern Nigeria is a completely
bastardized system compared to the form and
conditions under which the system was operating
and its output during the pre colonial period.
The system just take another dimension as the
result of the British invasion to colonized the
northern Nigerian territories and took control of
the state treasury.
With loss of support from the government and the
helpless emirs, the almajiri system thus collapsed
like a pile of cards. The responsibility of the
Almajiri was then taken over by the local scholars
who deemed it a moral and religious duty to
educate these pupil for the sake of Allah.
Although there was scarsity of funds and over
whelming number of pupil to cater for, the system
continued to flourish with the support of the
immediate community and begging was still not a
norm. Instead, they restored to odd menial jobs
to make ends meet.
Disregard for the Almajiri system in preference for
western education ignited animosity and
antagonism from the malams, the pupil and the
society at large. What we have now is the system
that has been bastardized, leading to the falling
down of the northern families .As Haruspice puts
it.... "
In an easy ceremony, a man got hooked up to a
lady and swiftly a family settings began. Within a
short period of time, Allah bless them with a boy
and they fall into the ocean of joy. With a blink of
an eye, the boy clocks five years, he is then
accompanied by the father into the urban society
to learn the Qur'an. What a pity, a five year lad is
forcefully pulled away from his mother to God
knows where. And the father return home to meet
the wife who had agree that her son is out for
knowledge. Just of a sudden, another baby is on
the way as the first one is left forgotten.
The "Malam" who has been blessed by Allah and
using his economic dextarity sends the poor child
into the harsh street to solicit for alms. In the
nature of the street, the boy manage to survive
and learn many things. He battles ruggedly
against any unwanted elements and in a short
time he becomes champion of the street.
He has no relatives to share feelings with because
he is left for the street to shape him into her
dictarts. He becomes paranoid and angry. To
subdue his anger against his Malam, he is told
never to question his condition as it is Allah's will
for him. He is told to hate those who don't
belong to his faith and with fury, he is always in
anger against the people in the society.
As he grows up,the street becomes uninhabitable
for him because no one can give alm to an able
bodied man. He then resort to crime and become
a nuisance to the society completely. The lucky
ones among venture into political thuggery and
others brainwashed into religious fundamentalism.
As his life circle continues, he is arrested for any
crime above and sentence to save jail terms.
After some years, he comes out more frustrated
and hopeless. With no good work to do, again he
continue his romance with the street.
Suppressed eventually by age, he become weak
to make ends meet and resort finally to begging.
As he bit farewell to his unfortunate life, he look
back at the offsprings after him, " the next
Almajiri of his legacy"." Unfortunately, he has not
benefit himself talk less of the society benefiting
from him.
Although this system has produced prominent
Islamic scholars of Northern extraction like Sheikh
Dahiru Bauchi, late Abubakar Gumi, late Ja'afar
Adam and kalarawi, GoniHabib,an octogenarian
who has produced over 300 Qur'an memorizers
and run schools across various states in Northern
Nigeria. But the system as it is presently run is a
corruption of the original because the Almajiri
lacks the spirit of scholarship like endurance,
morals, discipline and their intellectuall capacity is
low.
Therefore, the authority involve like parents who
always sees the system as a way to reduce the
population of their children to live a better life
with their lovely wife, the government officials
who usually show blind eyes to the system
because their children are count out and also the
Education ministry who sees it's inclusion in the
Nigerian Educational system as a threat to their
mismanagement of fund should find a way of
solving this problem. Ignoring the problems
itching the system is like living the society to dig
its grave by itself. And this will eventually lead to
a society full with nuisance where hooliganism
will prevail.
NORTHERN FAMILY
By Saeed Kamalu Bako
The almajiri system of education as practise
today in the northern Nigeria is a completely
bastardized system compared to the form and
conditions under which the system was operating
and its output during the pre colonial period.
The system just take another dimension as the
result of the British invasion to colonized the
northern Nigerian territories and took control of
the state treasury.
With loss of support from the government and the
helpless emirs, the almajiri system thus collapsed
like a pile of cards. The responsibility of the
Almajiri was then taken over by the local scholars
who deemed it a moral and religious duty to
educate these pupil for the sake of Allah.
Although there was scarsity of funds and over
whelming number of pupil to cater for, the system
continued to flourish with the support of the
immediate community and begging was still not a
norm. Instead, they restored to odd menial jobs
to make ends meet.
Disregard for the Almajiri system in preference for
western education ignited animosity and
antagonism from the malams, the pupil and the
society at large. What we have now is the system
that has been bastardized, leading to the falling
down of the northern families .As Haruspice puts
it.... "
In an easy ceremony, a man got hooked up to a
lady and swiftly a family settings began. Within a
short period of time, Allah bless them with a boy
and they fall into the ocean of joy. With a blink of
an eye, the boy clocks five years, he is then
accompanied by the father into the urban society
to learn the Qur'an. What a pity, a five year lad is
forcefully pulled away from his mother to God
knows where. And the father return home to meet
the wife who had agree that her son is out for
knowledge. Just of a sudden, another baby is on
the way as the first one is left forgotten.
The "Malam" who has been blessed by Allah and
using his economic dextarity sends the poor child
into the harsh street to solicit for alms. In the
nature of the street, the boy manage to survive
and learn many things. He battles ruggedly
against any unwanted elements and in a short
time he becomes champion of the street.
He has no relatives to share feelings with because
he is left for the street to shape him into her
dictarts. He becomes paranoid and angry. To
subdue his anger against his Malam, he is told
never to question his condition as it is Allah's will
for him. He is told to hate those who don't
belong to his faith and with fury, he is always in
anger against the people in the society.
As he grows up,the street becomes uninhabitable
for him because no one can give alm to an able
bodied man. He then resort to crime and become
a nuisance to the society completely. The lucky
ones among venture into political thuggery and
others brainwashed into religious fundamentalism.
As his life circle continues, he is arrested for any
crime above and sentence to save jail terms.
After some years, he comes out more frustrated
and hopeless. With no good work to do, again he
continue his romance with the street.
Suppressed eventually by age, he become weak
to make ends meet and resort finally to begging.
As he bit farewell to his unfortunate life, he look
back at the offsprings after him, " the next
Almajiri of his legacy"." Unfortunately, he has not
benefit himself talk less of the society benefiting
from him.
Although this system has produced prominent
Islamic scholars of Northern extraction like Sheikh
Dahiru Bauchi, late Abubakar Gumi, late Ja'afar
Adam and kalarawi, GoniHabib,an octogenarian
who has produced over 300 Qur'an memorizers
and run schools across various states in Northern
Nigeria. But the system as it is presently run is a
corruption of the original because the Almajiri
lacks the spirit of scholarship like endurance,
morals, discipline and their intellectuall capacity is
low.
Therefore, the authority involve like parents who
always sees the system as a way to reduce the
population of their children to live a better life
with their lovely wife, the government officials
who usually show blind eyes to the system
because their children are count out and also the
Education ministry who sees it's inclusion in the
Nigerian Educational system as a threat to their
mismanagement of fund should find a way of
solving this problem. Ignoring the problems
itching the system is like living the society to dig
its grave by itself. And this will eventually lead to
a society full with nuisance where hooliganism
will prevail.
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