More than 9,000 graduates and NCE holders in Jigawa State are competing for just 500 teaching positions under the state government’s J-Tsangaya programme.
The state government has commenced the Computer-Based Test (CBT) for the recruitment exercise, with the tests taking place in Dutse, Hadejia and Gumel.
The Executive Secretary of the Jigawa State Tsangaya Education Board, Abubakar Maje, disclosed this on Sunday while inspecting the exercise at the various centres.
According to Maje, 3,150 applicants were shortlisted to participate in the CBT, from which the final 500 successful candidates will be selected.
He explained that the recruitment forms part of the government’s efforts to strengthen its Almajiri Free Zone Programme and provide a more structured educational system for thousands of children enrolled in traditional Tsangaya schools.
“The teachers will support the programme which targets more than 5,000 Almajirai for enrolment in a structured education system,” Maje said.
The programme is designed to combine Qur’anic education with conventional subjects and vocational training. It is also aimed at reducing the number of children involved in street begging.
Under the new model, Tsangaya pupils are expected to receive education, accommodation, healthcare and vocational skills to help them become self-reliant.
Three mega Tsangaya schools have been established in Dutse, Kafin Hausa and Ringim. Each school is expected to accommodate about 1,500 children.
The pupils will study Qur’an alongside subjects such as English, Mathematics, Basic Science and Computer Studies. Vocational training will also form part of the curriculum.
Maje said the 500 teachers to be recruited would be divided between conventional subjects and Qur’anic education.
He added that Jigawa currently has more than 5,481 traditional Tsangaya schools, 130 integrated Tsangaya schools, seven modern Tsangaya schools and three mega Tsangaya schools.
Some applicants who participated in the CBT described the process as smooth and transparent but called on the government to increase the number of available positions.
One candidate, Musa Ibrahim, said the large number of applicants showed the need for the government to consider recruiting up to 1,000 teachers instead of the planned 500.
A candidate in Hadejia, Aisha Bala, also appealed for an expansion of the recruitment slots, citing the difficult economic situation and the high number of applicants.
Community members equally welcomed the initiative but urged the government to establish more mega Tsangaya schools across other local government areas so that more children can benefit.
The J-Tsangaya programme is part of Jigawa State’s broader efforts to address the problem of out-of-school children and integrate traditional Islamic education into a more structured system that provides religious learning, basic education and practical skills.
