Bauchi, NBAIS Partner on 12-Month Accelerated Training for Tsangaya Teachers

Bauchi, NBAIS Partner on 12-Month Accelerated Training for Tsangaya Teachers

From Umar Akilu Majeri in Bauchi

The Bauchi State Ministry of Education is set to partner with the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) to introduce a 12-month accelerated training programme for Huffaz (Qur’anic memorisation teachers) in the state.

The initiative aims to bridge the gap between traditional Qur’anic education and the conventional school system through the NBAIS Tahfeez curriculum, which integrates Qur’anic studies with mainstream academic subjects.

The Director of the Directorate of Arabic and Islamic Studies and Humanities Research (DAHR), Dr Abdulrashid Salman, disclosed this on Monday when he led a delegation of the board on a courtesy visit to the Bauchi State Commissioner for Education, Hon. Abdulkadir M. Ibrahim, in his office.

Salman, who represented the Chief Registrar of NBAIS, said the visit was aimed at strengthening the existing relationship between the board and the ministry, as well as formally introducing the accelerated training programme.

He described the initiative as a short-term, comprehensive and beneficial intervention designed to improve the quality of Tsangaya education and address public misconceptions about the system.

According to him, the programme will provide an opportunity to harmonise Arabic and Islamic education with conventional schooling, while equipping Tsangaya teachers with the knowledge and skills required to deliver a more integrated curriculum.

He identified key areas of collaboration as the integration of Arabic and Islamic studies into conventional education, the training and retraining of Tsangaya teachers, the enrolment of qualified tutors, and the collection of data and mapping of Tsangaya schools to identify eligible participants.

Other areas, he said, would include joint monitoring and evaluation to ensure effective implementation and the achievement of the programme’s objectives.

Responding, the Commissioner for Education, Hon. Abdulkadir M. Ibrahim, popularly known as Cikasoron Bauchi, welcomed the initiative, describing the visit as timely.

He said the ministry was open to ideas and partnerships capable of improving the state’s education sector, adding that collaboration with relevant institutions was essential to achieving meaningful progress.

“Your coming is timely, as we welcome any idea that will uplift the education sector, and we look forward to more collaboration,” the commissioner said.

Ibrahim assured NBAIS of the ministry’s full support for the successful implementation of the programme, expressing optimism that the partnership would contribute to improving the quality of education and strengthening the Tsangaya system in Bauchi State.