Kano-LEADS Advocates for Community Schools’ Revitalization
By Mustapha Salisu
Kano Leadership Enlightenment and Advocacy for Development Initiatives (Kano-LEADS), a Non-Governmental Organization, has launched an advocacy visit to various community schools within and outside Kano metropolis.
PRIME TIME NEWS reports that the Education Cluster of the organization visited several schools between Tuesday and Wednesday, including Tahfeezul Qur’an College (TQC) in Kibiya LGA, Kano, and Al-Majlisul Islami in Hotoro, which houses various schools such as At-Tarbiyya Community College and Umarul Farouq Community School.
Alh. Abubakar Sadik Umar, Secretary-General of Kano-LEADS and head of the delegation, expressed concern over the crippling of nearly every sector in the country, including education. He emphasized the need to revive the educational sector.
He explained that the visit aimed to adopt the success stories and challenges of these schools for advocacy to other communities for imitation.
Alh. Abubakar stated, “At Kano-LEADS, we focus largely on advocacy, so we shall relay their challenges to the government and relevant stakeholders to support and encourage community schools like these, which are doing well, to ensure our children acquire quality education for a progressive society.”
At Tahfeezul Qur’an College, Kibiya LGA, Kano, the delegation toured the school’s facilities. Sen. U.K. Umar (Sarkin Kibiya), Chairman of the Governing Board of TQC and Chairman of the Educational Cluster of Kano-LEADS, welcomed the delegation and assured them of the judicious utilization of the advice offered.
He highlighted that TQC has grown from a single classroom to a full-fledged secondary boarding school attracting students from beyond Kibiya LGA and Kano State, including neighboring countries. The school has graduated many students who have become scholars, Imams, and ambassadors in various disciplines.
Sen. U.K. Umar also revealed plans to launch the Tahfeez College of Health Sciences and Technology in Kibiya, aimed at producing health practitioners through quality health training.
Yusuf Musa, Secretary of the Governing Board at TQC Kibiya, asserted that independent schools are divided into voluntary/community or private schools, with community schools committed to service rather than profit. He urged communities to take charge of their activities without waiting for government intervention.
Maifada Bello, Vice-Chairman of TQC, Kibiya Governing Board and Director of the school, noted significant contributions from the local government and previous Kano state governors to the school’s success.
He mentioned that students memorize the Holy Qur’an in 2-3 years and that the school supports orphans and converts to Islam, among other services.
The Kano-LEADS delegation offered various pieces of advice to TQC, including introducing vocational skills, utilizing their vast land for fish farming and cattle rearing, planting more trees, establishing a playground, granting scholarships to non-Muslim students, and strengthening their ICT and digital presence.
In a related development, Kano-LEADS’ Educational Cluster visited Al-Majlisul Islami in Hotoro, a center that provides numerous services for the advancement of education and Islam.
The center houses community schools like At-Tarbiyya Community College and Umarul Farouq Community School, with nearly 6,000 students.
Abdullahi Muhammad Getso, a prominent member of the governing board of the center and Chief Lecturer at Sa’adatu Rimi University of Education, Kano, guided the delegation through the facilities.
He emphasized that community schools are established for the community’s benefit and are not tied to individual ownership. Getso highlighted the center’s success stories, including feeding programs, Da’awa (evangelism), and youth coordination.
However, he also outlined challenges such as the impending increase in salaries which shall compel them to increase payment of school fees, with many students struggling to afford them.
He called on the government to supply teachers to community schools and intervene in fee payments for parents who cannot afford them. Getso also requested land space for decongestion and appealed to the government and philanthropists for support.
Alh. Abubakar Sadik Umar assured that Kano-LEADS would advocate for these schools’ success stories and challenges to the state governor and seek support from philanthropists to bridge their gaps.
