…And mallams eagerly teach them free-of-charge
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The popular saying that teachers’ reward is in heaven may have originated from Sheik Ahmadu Alkali Madinatul Ahbab Wattalamiz Quranic and Islamic Primary School, Barnawa, Kaduna, where the mallams (teachers) are teaching the pupils free of charge, without being paid salary, but look unto God for the reward.
As early as 7.00am, mats of various sizes are placed in the three classrooms and also on the large veranda of the school building. Group of pupils sit on the mats according to the class they belong. By afternoon, they go on break and reconvene in the evening to close at 8pm, after which the stubborn ones must have taken full dose of the whips.
Some of the pupils are still in their early year of memorising the Koran, while others have finished the training and are just awaiting formal graduation.
Parents of the pupils could be traced to far northern states like Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto, among others, and they bear no financial responsibility in the training of their children at the Quranic school.
Mallams in this school said they live on free donations from well-meaning and spirited individuals in the society. They added that parents of the pupils pay no kobo to enroll their wards into the school.
The volunteer Islamic teachers also believe that the free teaching services will make Allah (God) to bless and reward them in this world and the world hereafter.
On any typical day, the school is a beehive of learning, focused primarily on memorising the holy Koran.
For one of the teachers, Malam Mansir Ahmed, he has no regrets giving free teaching as he strongly believes that Allah would reward him sooner than later.
This is even as the pupils, particularly those that have finished memorising the entire Koran at tender ages are hungry for western education.
One of such pupils, Mustapha Musa, 13, told Sunday Sun: “I want to go to Boko school (Western education) because I am done with Quranic study. I have memorised the whole Quran. I want government to pay my school fees for western education so that if I finish my school I can contribute to the development of the country through teaching because I want to be a teacher in future.
Mallam Ahmed spoke further: “What we are doing here is based on Islamic injunctions. We are not charging fees from the pupils. We are doing it free of charge because of Allah. We are not generating money here. So we are helping government by training these children to be of good character and develop sound moral foundation to become future leaders of the larger society.
“But we need government support to empower these child beggar schools. And the teachers too need financial assistance from government because we are not on salary. We are teaching because of God. However if these children are empowered they can help to grow the economy by going into cottage industries and make things like shoes, bags, mats and aluminum pots, among other items.
“Of course, some of them are showing signs of becoming good teachers. So they can turn out to teach religious subjects in government schools later in life. So if government empowers them now, they will turn out tomorrow as better citizens to help the Nigerian economy.
“We have about 20 teachers and 1,500 pupils here in this school, who are willing to participate in all government activities if empowered. The government should give us enabling environment for these children to learn. For instance, we don’t have enough space in this school. So government should help us to improve this school.
“If these pupils are properly empowered, some of them will go into large scale farming both in crop production and animal husbandry. But like I said earlier, we impart good character in these children and encourage them to uphold good moral standard as it is expected of them by the larger society.”