FG bans street begging by Almajiri pupils, introduces digital skills, vocational training and certificates

• FG has banned Almajiri pupils from begging on the streets, warning that offending schools could be sanctioned or shut down.

• Digital skills, literacy, numeracy and vocational training will now become part of the Almajiri curriculum.

• Graduates of recognised Almajiri schools will receive official certificates for the first time.

• All Almajiri learning centres must register and capture learners' biometric data, while meeting new health, welfare and child protection standards.

The Federal Government has rolled out a major reform of Nigeria's Almajiri education system, and one thing is now clear, Almajiri pupils are no longer expected to be sent to the streets to beg for food or money.

Under the newly approved National Policy for the Enhancement of Almajiri Education, the government has banned the long-standing practice of street begging by learners and warned that any registered Almajiri school that violates the directive could face sanctions, including being shut down.

The policy, approved by the Federal Ministry of Education, is designed to modernise the traditional Qur'anic education system without taking away its religious identity.

According to the policy document, "No learner(s) shall be sent out to beg in the street or do menial jobs."

The government also warned that: "Any registered learning centre that sends learners out to beg shall face appropriate action such as sanction from operation."

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Beyond ending street begging, the government wants Almajiri learners to leave school with practical skills that can help them earn a living.

For the first time, literacy, numeracy, digital education, civic education, life skills and vocational training will become part of the curriculum in Almajiri learning centres across the country.

The policy states: "Literacy and Numeracy shall be infused into the curriculum of the Almajiri teaching and learning."

It also added: "Relevant digital skills shall be included in the training of the facilitators and learners."

Learners will also have the opportunity to choose vocational and technical skills based on their interests or with the approval of their parents or guardians.

One of the biggest changes in the reform is that graduates of recognised Almajiri schools will now receive official certificates after completing their studies.

According to the document: "A structured certification process for learners shall be established by the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education in collaboration with relevant federal government agencies."

It added: "Learners who complete the Almajiri education shall be awarded a certificate."

This is expected to make it easier for graduates to continue their education or access employment opportunities.

The Federal Government is also tightening regulation of Almajiri schools.

All learning centres will now be required to register with the appropriate state or local government authorities.

Schools must also keep proper records of every learner, including biometric data.

According to the policy: "All learning centres shall be registered with relevant state or local government authority working on Almajiri Education."

It also says every school must: "keep records of all learners manually and/or electronically as well as biometric data."

The new policy introduces minimum standards for both day and boarding schools.

Children must undergo health screening before admission, while teachers and facilitators will also have regular medical checks.

Schools are expected to provide clean water, proper toilets, adequate ventilation, first aid facilities and avoid overcrowding.

Separate learning spaces for boys and girls are also now required, while boarding facilities must meet approved standards.

The reforms are not just about stricter rules.

Registered Almajiri schools will also be eligible for government support, including learning materials, healthcare services, nutrition programmes, school feeding, scholarships for facilitators and, depending on what individual states can provide, teacher allowances.

Teachers, including Alarammas, will also be included in training programmes organised by agencies such as UBEC, SUBEB, the National Teachers' Institute and the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria.

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The Federal Government stressed that it is not scrapping the Almajiri system but making it safer and more relevant in today's Nigeria.

According to the policy: "It is developed not to take over learning centres but to provide clear operational guidelines, direction and streamline activities of the Almajiri education system. This is to guarantee the learners' and teachers' security, promote their well-being and engender economic productivity among the learners."

Officials say years of neglect, poor funding, weak regulation and parental abandonment have contributed to many of the challenges facing the Almajiri system.

The government also noted that children roaming the streets to beg have been exposed to exploitation, abuse and other dangers while increasing Nigeria's already large population of out-of-school children.

The policy follows the creation of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education in 2023, which was set up to coordinate efforts aimed at reducing the country's out-of-school children crisis.

If properly implemented, the new policy will become Nigeria's first comprehensive national framework covering the registration, curriculum, funding, welfare, monitoring and regulation of Almajiri learning centres nationwide.