The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Tuesday urged parents to stop giving their children to itinerant teachers for Qur’anic education.
Abubakar said this in Sokoto at the opening of a one-day national symposium on the almajiri education programme entitled, “The Journey So Far’’.
The symposium was jointly organised by the Sokoto State Ministry for Religious Affairs and the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Consultancy Service Unit.
“It is obligatory for parents to ensure that their children get both Western and Islamic education. They should rather pay teachers to teach their children in an organised integrated system.
“The almajiri education system is a source of concern to everybody and we must find solution to the problem,’’ Abubakar, represented by the District Head of Binji, Alhaji Kabiru Usman, said.
The sultan commended the Federal Government on its intervention by setting up model integrated almajiri schools across the country.
In his speech, the State Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, said he had directed that primary schools in the state should be used for Islamic lessons during evening hours.
Wamakko, represented by the commissioner, Religious Affairs, Prof. Musa Maitafsir, said food would also be provided to such pupils.
“The almajiri integrated education system took off in the state in 2008 with 19 students, but now it has more than 1,000 students,’’ Wamakko said.
NAN reports that the symposium was attended by participants from the 19 states of the federation and the FCT.