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30-Nov-2002
RESUSCITATING SCIENCE SECONDARY SCHOOLS THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
by
Ibrahim Ado-Kurawa B. Sc (HONS) M. Sc Zoology (Applied Entomology)
Director Research, Institute for Contemporary Research (ICR) Kano and General Editor Weekly Pyramid The Magazine
Kano, Nigeria
(majekarofi@yahoo.com
)
http://www.kanoonline.com/ibrahimado/
The people of Kano and Jigawa States will forever be grateful to Colonel Sani Bello for establishing the science secondary schools that produced first class scientists who are working in some of the most prestigious institutions of the world. Without that initiative those brilliant pupils might not have realized their potentials. One of them was the best WEAC student and he has remained consistent in his endeavor. He is now saving as assistant professor of pathology in a U.S. university and there are also many of such brilliant alumni of the science schools who are a source of pride for Nigeria whose name has been battered by four-one-niners, corrupt leaders and drug pushers.
The BBC Hausa Service is also doing a nice job of educating us on the best ways to improve our education in this backward part of the world. The producer of the program has also been kind enough by bringing those brilliant achievers of the science secondary schools to educate us and encourage our young ones. This little piece is a follow up to an edition (23rd November 2002) of that program and also as a result of a message from an academic friend who intimated me to write on the topic based on an earlier paper I wrote that has some relevance to the current discourse. It seems most of the contributors to the program and others agree that the science secondary schools strategy is one of the best ways of resuscitating science education in this part of Nigeria. They also identified lack of upholding the principle of merit in the selection of pupils for the schools as one of the main reasons for the collapse of those schools. According to this observation those from privileged background were favored thus denying the children of the talakawa (commoners) who were eligible.
It is the position of this write-up that even if we establish the best science secondary schools the system would not be egalitarian but serve only the children of the elites and not the children of the talakawa (commoners) unless some measures are taken. Currently only the children of the elites can pass any qualifying examination into such schools because the children of the talakawa have no access to good primary education. In those days there were public primary schools that provided good primary education but today there are hardly any such schools for the talakawa to send their children. It is correct that we demand accountability from our leaders and call on them to spend more on education but we may not succeed if we do not address the cultural problem because partisan politicians would continue to manipulate the talakawa. I have discussed broad institutional reforms that take into account consensus of all sections of the dominant elite based on our values in other papers. Here I would narrate some experiences and few of the suggestions made earlier.
For us to be successful we must focus on the element of our culture that promotes education, if not we would be beating our around the bush. The most important aspect of our culture is our religion. Therefore it is necessary to explore the aspects of our religion that promote education. There are so many of such aspects that is why every week in Kano, the conscious emir opens a new Islamic school or attends the graduation ceremony of one of such schools or lays the foundation of a new one. This has also been the major source that earned the emir his esteemed position. He cancelled a meeting with a military dictator to attend a ceremony in one of such schools in a village while others were doing everything to meet the dictator. Another thing is that the people actually believe in such schools because at least even if they dont get any job after completion they are assured of knowledge that could lead them to salvation in the hereafter this was stated by an almajiri to a BBC Hausa Service correspondent. There is no doubt the almajiri system has its problems but what of the conventional system whereby a lucky pupil will spend 12 years only to pass Hausa and IRK but the unlucky ones cannot even write an essay in Hausa and they become yan daba (hooligans) for the politicians to use with impunity since they cannot do menial jobs.
I agree the Ulama (Muslim scholars) have their problems but even though we are now witnessing their bashings they are the most legitimate class amongst the elites because they are associated with the most legitimate institution and they are also with the people. The western educated elites who spearhead the bashing of the Ulama are worse than them. Look at the northern universities ivory towers of western education they are crumbling everyday not only because of lack of funding but also because of mediocrity and ineptitude. One faction or the other of the northern western educated elites always serves as think tank for one federal administration of Nigeria or the other. So if anybody is to be blamed for our predicament these elites will take larger share than the Ulama. Only few of the western educated elites can exonerate themselves from this guilt. One of such is Engineer Isa Musa Gumel a man endured with Gumelian wisdom he translated his technical book into Hausa language the first of its kind now available for anyone willing to read amongst the 50 million speakers of this largest African language.
It would be more fruitful if the western educated elites engage themselves in encouraging the Ulama to mobilize people to accept the conventional schools and participate in its activities fully and many of the Ulama are indeed willing. These elites can make good contribution by making available what they have in terms of ideas similar to Engineer Isa Musas effort for incorporation into the booming community based Islamiyya Schools. They could also compliment Professor Abdalla Uba Adamus efforts of reviving Ajami (Hausa in Arabic scripts), which Lugard with encouragement of the missionary Dr. Miller attempted to kill and also the professors untiring hard work of translating new scientific terms into Hausa. A major milestone would be achieved if the Ulama convince the people about the schools thus they would call on the politicians and bureaucrats to be accountable. The famous NEPU was successful in its struggles because it used religious symbols and the backing of the Ulama was an important morale booster for the members of the party who sacrificed for the talakawa. These are cultural strategies that could bring in more people into the efforts of resuscitating education at the grass root, without which nothing substantial would be achieved because some selfish politicians can easily terminate the program.
The neighborhood education committee initiative of the Inuwar Kano, established in 1998 by a group of concerned statesmen attempted to mobilize the people to participate in educational activities. This committee perhaps got its root in an earlier effort by the Kano Municipal Council committee. Inuwar Kano did a lot of work and they are still doing. But their effort is now undermined because of the return of patrimonialism and the people think the government can do everything.
It is worthwhile at this juncture to narrate a personal experience. My elder brothers, some of my younger ones and I did not attend public primary schools but some of the best private boarding primary schools in northern Nigeria. We were able to get admission on merit to some of the best schools in Nigeria at that time; Kings College, Federal Government College Kaduna and Federal Government College Warri. But some time in between 1979 and 1980 our father decided to put some of our younger brothers and sisters in a public primary school in the neighborhood. He built a convenience facility in the school as a donation and was part of the efforts of some parents to contribute towards providing teaching aids in the school. Mallam Musa Gumel one of the most honest civil servants in Kano State was appointed chairman. But because those belonging to the opposition party spearheaded the initiative some members of the ruling party deceived the poor masses and they refused to contribute or even participate in the efforts. The program was scuttled our father took away his wards from the school to private primary schools. All of them have now graduated in the choice professions of engineering, pharmacy, law and accounting. One of them is among the first female engineers in Kano. There is no doubt the ruling party of the second republic executed many commendable projects but it was notorious for non-payment of primary teachers salaries and neglect of primary education.
Both strategies used above though good intentioned faced the obstacle of community apathy because the key was not properly identified. That key is the communitys Islamic identity, which must be used through the Ulama who can convince the people to participate. The task is to bring peoples attention to education so that the primary schools could be resuscitated to provide opportunity for the children of the talakawa and from there they can go to the science secondary schools. It is more than painting of classes and it is about making the people to sacrifice, in many other parts of the world people can sacrifice their little savings to take their wards to school. There is that ingredient in our culture that could stimulate people to make that sacrifice. They can sacrifice anything for Allah and He says we should learn we need those who know Him to convince the people. Any government or civil organization that is interested can intimate the traditional leaders who have good rapport with most of the Ulama and they can assist them. One of such traditional leaders is the Emir of Kano who is always out of his palace at least once a week for a function at an Islamiyya school. With little money and community commitment a lot could be accomplished.
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