The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has raised the alarm over
the danger confronting Islamic studies and Arabic language in the Southwest.
MURIC said various challenges ranging from lack of subject
teachers to syllabus defect face the teaching of the two subjects in the
Southwest.
The body said those behind the shortfall of IRK teachers in
the Southwest are creating a trap for the future generations.
Professor Ishaq Akintola, Director of MURIC, therefore,
called on the governments of the region to rise to the occasion as quickly as
possible.
Akintola made the call in a statement he issued on Saturday.
The statement reads: “The teaching of Arabic language and
Islamic Studies (IRK) is gradually disappearing in both primary and secondary
schools in the South West. Most of these schools have no subject teachers for
the two subjects and no effort is being made to recruit teachers for them. Most
of these states only employ teachers of other subjects when they recruit any
teacher at all.
“The tab given to teachers in some of these states has notes
on Bible Knowledge (BK) fully loaded whereas what is found under IRK is: ‘This
period is designated for IRS specialist to teach pupils’. The IRK period is
often wasted without the pupils learning anything about the subject due to lack
of teachers, scheme, guide, or textbooks but BK or CRK content for teaching is
readily available.
“We urge the ministries of education in the Yoruba states,
Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti to urgently address this gross
imbalance. Religious education is important to inculcate the right values and
the fear of Allah in the citizenry from childhood.
“However, the purpose may be defeated if attention is paid
to only one religion at the expense of another. It should be noted that
criminals do not discriminate between one faith or the other when they pick
their victims. The current spate of insecurity which is affecting people of all
faiths should be a lesson to all.
“Whoever thinks this is a problem for Muslims alone has
missed the point. We are interwoven in all facets of life. Neither will
teaching BK to Muslim children solve the problem because square pegs will never
fit into round holes. A stitch in time saves nine.
“Those behind the artificial shortage of teachers of Arabic and IRK are simply setting a booby trap for future generations of people of all faiths in Yorubaland. The South West cannot afford to cut its nose to spite its face. We, therefore, advise the relevant authorities to investigate the imbalance in the availability of teachers of IRK, Arabic and BK as well as the lack of teaching aids for IRK while CRK is over-pampered.”
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