A leading pro-democracy group in Kwara State, “Kwara Must Change” has called on scholars and Arabic schools to embrace human rights principle in their dealing with students.
The group said that everyone should be treated with dignity, even while seeking Islamic knowledge.
The group further stated that adopting excessive force in disciplinary measures was no longer productive or tolerable in 21st century, as this was against both the constitution of Nigeria and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
In a statement by Convener of “Kwara Must Change”, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, the group explained that, scholars and Arabic schools had done a lot of good and produced a lot of exemplary individuals in the society and their contribution to national growth and development could not be quantified.
“However, the culture of using excessive force while trying to enforce discipline should not be seen as necessity in this modern era, arguing that there are better ways of ensuring discipline among students,” he said.
According to Hamzat, “many couldn’t attend Arabic school because of fear of brutality, while those who were products of the system see it as necessity”
Such brutality, Hamzat said, was seen as a regular culture of Arabic schools from time immemorial and the time was ripe to discontinue the practice and embrace more modern approach of instilling discipline in students.
Hamzat further explained that: “the recent viral video of brutal flogging of a teenage girl by multiple individuals under supervision of the proprietor in ‘misbaudeen madrasa’ at Ganmo, Kwara State, is not an isolated case, because everyone familiar with madrasa’s would know that similar incidences happen almost on daily basis.”
However, Hamzat explained that Madrasas should not be outright demonized for their shortcomings and effort at instilling discipline in a student, who was recommended for descipline by her parents, noting that instead of demonizing the Arabic school, they should be sensitized and given new orientation to ensure necessary reforms were introduced for the good of the society.
“Kwara Must Change” concluded that government should approach council of ulama to jointly come up with a robust and lasting solution to the issue of brutality, not only in madrasa and Arabic schools, but also across schools in the state.
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