A community in Jigawa State has expelled an Islamic cleric for discouraging children from enrolling in conventional schools, according to a local lawmaker, Ado Yakubu. The cleric was expelled after traditional leaders in the community consulted with Mr. Yakubu, who represents the Gwaram constituency in the Jigawa State House of Assembly.
“A cleric was influencing locals not to enroll their children in acquiring Western education, and we engaged him in discussion with the traditional leaders,” Mr. Yakubu said. “We found that the cleric’s perspective on Western education was discouraging and misleading, and we decided to expel him because he was not a partner in progress and not an indigene of the town.”
The expulsion is part of efforts to address the problem of out-of-school children in the state. Mr. Yakubu lamented that some clerics were influencing local communities not to enroll their children in conventional schools, hindering efforts to boost enrollment.
The Jigawa State Basic Education Board (SUBED), in collaboration with UNICEF and the European Union (EU), organized an event to boost enrollment of children in school in the state. The event aimed to reduce the number of out-of-school children in Jigawa, which is currently ranked eighth on the list of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
“Jigawa is number eight on the list of out-of-school children; however, gladly, the Jigawa State Government is investing huge resources to see that children enjoy their rights to education,” said UNICEF’s education specialist, Muntaka Mohammed.