Hailstones Against ‘Western Education’ in Some Northern Nigerian States

PRESS RELEASE

29^th July 2009

Recent hailstones Against ‘Western Education’ in Some Northern Nigerian States

As the recent crisis in the Northern Nigeria States of Bauchi, Kano and Borno is being curtailed, it may be necessary to revisit the root cause of the conflagration and deduce lessons learnt to help smother a reoccurrence of such in the future.

Though President Yar Adua has decried reports that the conflict is religious and insisting that they were rather the handwork of a troublesome Taliban group that attacked men of the security forces, the destruction the upheaval left in its wake and the overt demands by the fundamentalist group fingered in the attack calls for concern among well meaning Nigerians. Reports have it that lots of displaced people were sheltered in barracks in Maiduguri on Tuesday after two days of clashes which has resulted in the death of at least 100 people.

Of concern to CSACEFA is the call by the group called Boko Haram, which opposes Western education. This group, fingered in the unrest was quoted by Reuters as saying:"We do not believe in Western education. It corrupts our ideas and beliefs.” Boko Haram, which means "education illegal," reportedly began its string of attacks in the north eastern city of Bauchi on Sunday after the arrest of some of its members.

Last year, media reports speculating legislative actions against co education in Bauchi State necessitated a meeting on 19 September 2008 in Bauchi by representatives of the affiliates of the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA) and other major stakeholder organizations like CAPP, AHIP, Action Aid and FOMWAN. The purpose of the meeting was to identify the surreptitious legislative undercurrents against co education and proffer solutions. The exponents of the Bill viewed Co education of boys and girls in the same classroom as inappropriate.

Resolutions from the meeting are still very much instructive in finding a lasting palliative to such acts of insurgency like those of Boko Haram.

· Sensitive issues like religious interpretations of ideals should be handled through participatory advocacy and sensitisation programmes by State Governments before they get out of hand.

· Sensitisation of stakeholders in the education sector should be self evident and based on time proven facts that education does not necessarily corrode cherished religious and cultural ideals.

· Media handling of such sensitive issues should be objective and the public adequately informed.

· Community members should be informed and educated that citizens reserve the right to choose a preferred education for their wards based on their convictions.

· Such incessant attacks could isolate the States concern from progressive global practices and may also alienate them from sources of critically needed external support for the implementation of their ongoing educational programmes. Some these supports are already operational in the affected states and are inspired by past achievements recorded by these states in the basic education sector.

· The affected States should immediately fast track programmes to make the community take greater responsibilities for the schooling of their wards in terms of community participation in school governance.

Given this confusion that attended the purported evils of western education CSACEFA hereby appeal to the affected States (Executive and Legislative authorities ) and other well-meaning personalities to maintain peace and work for unity and avert future religious tension in the states’’ education sector and in the larger society.

Meanwhile CSACEFA has commenced consultations with our members in the affected States on the way forward from this unfortunate event.

Wale Samuel

Policy Advisor

Civil Society Action Coalition on Education For All

CSACEFA