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RELIANCE IN THE
TSANGAYA SYSTEM
BY
AHMAD YAHYA
Ph.D/EDUC/1930/2009-2010
BEING
LECTURER
DR. RAYMOND B. BAKO
The traditional Qur’anic school, known as Tsangaya in Hausa language, traces its
origin to the old Timbuktu Scholastic tradition. This system predates the western
system of instruction in Northern Nigeria. Many people in this part of Nigeria,
including public servants, traditional rulers, politicians, e.t.c, are either products of
this system or happened to go through it at least once in their lifetime. Though
some people identify it with dependency, destitution and begging the Tsangaya
carries within itself mechanisms for self reliance and self employment, which most
people hardly notice. This paper attempts to bring out and explain these salient
self-reliance features which may have played a significant role in safeguarding the
existence of the system over a long period of time.
This paper attempts to peruse into the Tsangaya system, bringing thereof
elements of self-reliance inherent in it. Emphasis is laid on the original
nature of the system. A brief history of the emergence of the system is
given. Literal and technical meanings of the concept are also given,
including its types and some of the self-reliance features in it.
Defining Tsangaya
The literal meaning of this word is ‘study centre’. However, it is given a
variety of technical definition. According to Abubakar (2001) Tsangaya refers
to the traditional Qur’anic school because of what is largely visible in it i.e.
wooden plate. It is called in Hausa ‘Makarantar Allo’ (wooden plate school),
‘Makarantar Alkur’ani’ (Qur’anic school), ‘Makarantar Muhammadiyya’
(Muhammadan school), ‘Makarantar Toka’ (ash school) etc.
Abbas (1978: 126) defines it as an area or place where the Qur’an is taught
and which is characterized by an assembly of a conglomeration of children,
most of whom carry their individual wooden plates, around a single teacher,
most of the time with whip in his hand.
When Islam was introduced to Kanem Bornu and became a state religion,
Bornu gradually became the center for Qur’anic recitation. The Tsangaya
system enjoyed a great support and encouragement from the Mais (a title
for Bornu rulers). It originated in the reign of Mai Ali Gaji (1503 AD) who
encouraged and supported the establishment of such centers in many areas
for the spread of literacy (Yola: 2000).
After the success of the Jihad, Shehu Uthmanu Dan-fodio directed all those
learned in the Qur’an to spread themselves and impart its knowledge in order
not to remain idle, on one hand, and, on the other hand, to rescue the
Both teachers and students were then adequately catered for. The Jihad
leaders continued to spread and encourage this system of education. This
trend continued up to the advent of the colonialists who completely
disregarded the system and rendered it irrelevant.
Type of Tsangaya
The Tsangaya is of different types, though they share many things in
common. Galadanci (2005) explains that according to available statistics the
number of these schools in Kano state alone is twenty eight thousand.
There are basically two types of Tsangaya i.e. the resident and the mobile
one.
1. The resident Tsangaya: This is most of the time situated in the
town whether in the rural or urban area. Students are enrolled from
the neighbouring houses. The school has two sessions i.e. the
morning session, which begins from 9.00am to around 11.00am, and
1. Securing a Place
Securing a place to serve as school is one element of self-reliance in the
Tsangaya system. An inherent and conspicuous feature of this system is that
teachers travel out along with his students in search for a place to stay.
When a suitable area Is realized, the teacher takes a stroll around it in order
to ascertain which part of the neighbourhood is harmless and which part is
harmful. He then warns his students against going to the latter. He also
shows them where to fetch water.
The recitation zone (Kiskali), toilet, night prep area, benches (Gargari) and
dormitory are all constructed by the students themselves, under the
teacher’s guidance, without any external assistance. Thus condusive
learning atmosphere is created through the combined efforts of the teacher
and the students.
3. Procurement of Food
Sourcing food through subsisting farming is another element of self-reliance.
Here, both students and their teacher engage in farming in order to produce
what they can survive on for a complete year or more without necessarily
resorting to begging which is originally detestable in the system.
5. Income Generation
Financial expenses are comfortably met without running helter-skelter for
governmental assistance. The Tsangaya has four major sources of income.
This includes the following:
i. Money generated through the students’ and teacher’s involvement
in many occupations such as manicure, cap-making, embroidery
designs, cap washing, e.tc.
ii. Alms given directly to the teacher by the individual members of the
society, requesting special prayers thereof.
6. Graduation
The graduation itself is another emblem of self-reliance in the system. This is
because a student is not issued any paper certificate with which to secure a
job as knowledge is considered to be separate from occupation. Knowledge
in this system is held to be an act of worship the acquisition of which only
stops with one’s death and not an occupation. The latter, on the other hand,
is regarded as a means of sustenance and a support to knowledge
acquisition. The issue of what kind of job one gets after graduation does not
therefore arise at all. Student had already learned the occupation of his
family which may be farming, smiting, dyeing, tailoring, etc. He therefore
exercises no fear of unemployment as this is not the aim of his studies. He
engages himself in this occupation, being fully contended with the fact that
he has achieved what he wants i.e. learning the Qur’an, and that his post-
worldly life is now safe. It is only a handful of these graduates who deviate
and dater turn into hooligans. It is important, to note that even the modern
system of instruction is not devoid of these undesirable elements.
Summary
Attempt is made in this paper to bring into light some elements of self-
reliance in the Tsangaya system. Both its literal and technical meanings are
given along with its history and types. Some aspects of self-reliance the
system contains are enumerated and explained. Six of these elements,
which are more glaring, are briefly and concisely explained in this paper.
References
Abbas, M.J. (1978) Al-Madd al-Islami fi Ifriqiyyah Cairo: Al-Mukhtar al-Islami
Abdulhamid, A. (1998) ''The Problem of Eastward Movements in Northern Nigeria:
Some Geographical Significance to the Children Migration for Qur’anic
Education''. (An unpublished paper presented at the School Seminar Series of
the School of Arts and Social Sciences, Federal College of Education, Kano.
Abubakar, M. A. (2001) ''Makarantun Allo da na Ilimi a Kasarmu a Yau''. (an
unpublished seminar paper presented at Kano State Education Week).
Fafunwa, A.B. (1976): History of Education in Nigeria. London, George Allen and
Unwin L.t.d.
Galadanci, B.S. (2005). A phone-in programme broadcast by Freedom Radio, Kano
State. Sunday 26th January 2005. Galadanci is currently a commissioner of
the Ministry of Science and Technology, Kano State.
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Dar al-arabia
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(unpublished PGDE project)
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2005.
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