•••SAYS NORTHERN GOVERNORS DESTROYING PRIMARY EDUCATION
•••NUC DISCOVERS 70 ILLEGAL UNIVERSITIES,125 COLLEGES OF EDUCATION
Fred Harrison, Abuja
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has given reasons why the multi-purpose Almajiri school’s Programme in the North initiated by the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Administration failed.
Adamu said that the programme was not properly implemented.
Jonathan, in February, disclosed that his reason for the establishment of the Almajiri schools program in the North was to introduce a Western education curriculum into Islamic education to make the pupils employable and check incessant crisis and insecurity.
According to him, his vision and philosophy of development were based on education as there cannot be a functional society without a functional education system.
Jonathan had pointed out that education remains the key to changing the country.
But Adamu, while briefing journalists at the 47th session of the State House Ministerial Media Briefing organized by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential, Villa, Abuja, said the concept of how the school was to be run was not properly constituted.
“I think the conception of Almajiri Schools and how to run them were not properly done by the government we inherited. But I know right now they are being incorporated into our schools.
“As I told you, there are now about six million out-of-school children, probably some of them who are trooping here (Abuja), but certainly there should be government policy to stop the movement of almajiri or almajirai, as they’re called in Hausa. A provision should be made for instructing them wherever they are.” He said.
Adamu lamented that some governors of Northern States by their style of management were “destroying” education at the primary school level.
While responding to a question on nomadic education, he observed that the scheme had suffered a similar fate as basic education in several core northern states.
Adamu said, “The problem we have in nomadic education is like the problem I had when I came with my journalistic exuberance into government. I believed an emergency will be declared.
“But on reflection, not by me, but by the government, we found that declaring the emergency is more of a matter for states. And so, my effort was directed at the states.
“When I presented my memo to the Council, I was asked to go and present it to the National Economic Council. And I presented the paper three times trying to convince state governments to see the wisdom in declaring an emergency at least in the primary schools.
” And then that will strengthen the hand of the federal government even if by way of intervention to help the states to rescue primary schools.” He added.
According to him, his efforts would amount to nothing if the foundational education system is already rotten.
“The way our primary schools are…and I would like to say this about governors, especially in the northern states. It is as if they are looking for power to destroy education at the primary school level
“I don’t think there’s any governor who has any good story to say about primary education and nomadic education, the Federal Government is only making intervention
“So unless we have full cooperation from the States, I think achieving the objectives of nomadic education will take a long time to come. I hope states will change their attitude.” He explained.
Adamu revealed that the Federal government has so far identified 70 illegal universities and 125 Colleges of Education.
“As I speak, the NUC has identified approximately 70 illegal universities in the country. We will not rest on our oars in cracking down on illegal universities in the country
“The challenges of illegal Colleges of Education are as profound as that of illegal universities. We have also identified an alarming number of illegal Colleges of Education, totaling 125
“The National Commission for Colleges of Education has written to their proprietors to shut down within a specific time frame, after which the appropriate measures will be applied,” he said.