Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has introduced a unified curriculum for Islamic schools with the goal of combating extremist ideologies and preventing the radicalization of young people by terrorist groups.
Borno State has been severely affected by the Boko Haram insurgency, which originated in Maiduguri around 2002. The extremist group, Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād, commonly known as Boko Haram (which translates to “Western education is forbidden”), has targeted Western education, reportedly destroying about 2,500 classrooms and displacing hundreds of thousands of students through violent attacks and abductions.
Governor Zulum unveiled the curriculum on Tuesday, highlighting the need for a unified approach in Islamic education. He stated, “Our Islamic schools have been operating without a unified curriculum for at least three to four decades, and this is a significant concern for all of us.”
He emphasized that the Boko Haram insurgency began with misleading preaching and stressed the importance of preventing such occurrences in the future through initiatives like the new curriculum.
Zulum affirmed that his administration would ensure strict adherence to the unified curriculum in all Islamic schools. He stressed the importance of teaching and preaching in accordance with the authentic content of the holy books.
The new curriculum, based on the policies of the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies, aims to enable students from private Islamic schools to gain admission to universities and colleges.
Speaking about the curriculum, the Chairman of the Arabic and Tsangaya Education Board, Khalifah Sheikh Ali Abulfathi, explained, “The curriculum, which is based on the Maliki school of thought, centred on the teaching of Arabic, Quran, Hadith, Tauhid and jurisprudence.”
Abulfathi urged parents and other stakeholders to support the new curriculum, emphasizing the importance of providing quality Islamic education to every child.
