By Khalid Idris
Bauchi State Government says all Islamiyya and Qur’anic schools must be closed to avoid Coronavirus infection.
In a press release issued by state Commissioner of Education Dr. Aliyu U. Tilde said taking this action became necessary as part of preventive measures to contain the dreaded global pandemic.
He said, the Ministry of Education has observed that Qur’anic and Islamiyya Schools are still not shut down by their proprietors and Malams, which he said is a serious breach of the order and dangerous to public health.
“There is the need to secure the health of the almajiri students too. They come from, and return to different towns. They roam the streets and homes to fetch every meal they eat. Such high mobility makes them vulnerable to infection by the virus more than any other social group. And when sick, little can be done to them. One infected child, in the crowded rooms they reside in, can cause unimaginable havoc to other children and community,”
“Please let us extend our protection to these poor children as we do to ours. It is important that their malams disperse them to their homes immediately. They must shut down too, immediately, and return the children back to their parents,”
“Weekend Islamiyya schools for children, adult males and females, must comply, please. Disease reapects no faith. Let them close and open when the pandemic is over. No principal of any public school should allow any access to his school’s premises – distant learners included,” Tilde said.
Tilde added that all schools, western or eastern, must shut down. He called on all Imams and Malams to please comply for safety.
