The Federal Government has said it is engaging Ulamas or Islamic teachers in the North to tackle the problem of out-of-school children.
According to The PUNCH, the Minister of Education, Yusuf Sununu, disclosed this on Monday at the opening ceremony of a two-day education summit organised by the Bauchi State Government in Bauchi.
He said, “The rising figure of out-of-school children in Nigeria and most particularly in the northern part of Nigeria is not only unacceptable but also disheartening.
“There must be concerted efforts to address and reverse the trend of this time-bomb phenomenon.”
The minister said efforts were ongoing to integrate the Tsanga/Madrasa schools in the North into Basic Education.
“I, therefore, wish to solicit the cooperation of Ulamas and proprietors of these schools. May I also use this opportunity to call on the sub-national level to come forward with a similar agency backed by state law to serve the same purposes.
“This will facilitate better collaborations and synergy in addressing issues of out-of-school children and grant the Tsangaya schools the necessary recognition and status they deserve.
“While this administration keeps doing the best within the limits of available resources to better position the country in the comity of nations and redeem its image, I request that all hands should be on deck to save our dear country from the myriads of socio-economic and political challenges that beset it.
“Topmost among such challenges are the problem of insecurity and unemployment,” he said.
