Education Minister wants the FG to resurrect Jonathan’s Almajiri system of education.
Alausa made the call during an oversight visit to the ministry by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, chaired by Senator Muntari Dandutse. Alausa, who was just appointed to the ministry, lamented the high incidence of out-of-school children, claiming that with adequate funding, the problem will be addressed.
“We have up to 20 million out-of-school kids.
He advocated for increased money to meet the ultimate goal of removing out-of-school youngsters off the streets. According to the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School, the figure of 20 million was actually underestimated and should be closer to 40-50 million. This is a threat that can swallow everyone. “We need to make these schools work.”Former President Goodluck Jonathan built approximately 137 Almajiri schools during his term, but it is unfortunate that only a few of these schools are still running,” he stated.
Alausa stated that there was a lot of infrastructural ruin in the schools, and that the Almajiri Commission, founded by an act of Parliament, would empower the students.
He, however Dandutse also urged the minister to address security and power supply challenges for higher education facilities.
The minister also stated that the ministry would find a solution to keep kids in school by making the Home Grown Feeding Program feasible and sustainable.
“We will design the diets, we will make sure that the children get adequate nourishment which will translate into better brain development, and allow us to develop human capital,” he told reporters.
He also said that the country was producing unemployable graduates.
“We need to refocus, and the way we’re doing that is by focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medical Sciences (STEMM).
“We have hospitals built, infrastructure is in place, and funding is available, but we lack medical professionals to operate them.
“We will also focus on technical and vocational education. “We will encourage 80 percent practical training and 20 percent theory,” she explained.
Sen. Muntari Dandutse, Chairman of the Committee, stated that the Senate will work with the ministry to prioritize education in the country.
Dandutse also urged the minister to address security and power supply challenges at higher education institutions.
“The majority of the funds allocated to institutions will be used to pay electricity bills. “We must work together to ensure that they have an uninterrupted power supply,” he stated.
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