Contemporary Issues in Nomadic, Minority and Almajiri Education, Problems and Prospects

Abstract

This paper looked at the issues in nomadic, minority, and almajiri education. It sees education as both human right in itself and an indispensable means for realizing other human rights. The different nomadic groups found in Nigeria were also discussed, they are those who wonder from place to place for pasture for their animals and the migrant fisher-folks who live around the riverine areas and earn their living from the sale of fish. A brief history of nomadic education was discussed. The paper also discussed the blueprint of the nomadic education which was published in December 1987. The blueprint broke down the objectives in to two, the short term objectives and the long term objectives. The term street children was given as those children who are experiencing homelessness who primarily reside on a street of a city. They include the “children in the street” and “children of the street”. Another group of street children are the almajiris which is an Arabic word “almajiri” meaning immigrant. The origin of the almajiri education was also given briefly. The paper looked in to the new almajiri modern schools established by the federal government of Nigeria and sees it as a welcome development and also recognized the need for the reform of more than a century old system. And that it will help in the moral training and model skill acquisition of the almajiri. Some issues arising from this modern almajiri and nomadic education has been observed, which include: low enrollment in to the schools, faulty school placement, continual migration of pupils and so on. Finally some recommendations were made.

Keywords: Nomadic, Minority and Almajiri education.