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Arabic Language in The Curriculum of Tsangaya and Islamiyya Schools in Northwestern Nigeria: A Comparative Study
Subject area: Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities · Area of research: Education
Abstract
This study examine at how the Arabic language is taught in Tsangaya and Islamiyya schools in Northwestern Nigeria. It focusses on how each system teaches Arabic within its own educational framework. Tsangaya schools use traditional, oral-based methods that are based on memorising the Qur'an. Islamiyya schools on the other hand, tend to have a more structured curriculum that incorporates grammar, reading and writing. Using a qualitative approach, this study draws significantly on secondary literature to show how these two systems have changed over time and how they teach. Interviews with a few teachers and school administrators in Zamfara and Sokoto states provided primary data that added to the analysis. The results show that there are big variations between the two systems in terms of what they teach, what they want students to learn and the overall philosophy of education that guides each one. The report says that both systems provide a lot to help kids learn Arabic and about religion, but that Islamiyya schools are becoming more in line with modern educational needs. The study also adds to the current discussions over indigenous education, Arabic teaching and the future of Islamic schools in Nigeria's Muslim-majority areas.
Keywords
Arabic language, Tsangaya, Islamiyya, curriculum, Northwestern Nigeria
References
[1] Abubakar, M. (2012). Tsangaya education system and challenges in Northern Nigeria. Kano: Centre for Islamic Studies, Bayero University.
[2] Adamu, Y. M. (2003). Between Qur’anic and Western education in Northern Nigeria: The need for synergy. Zaria: Ahmadu Bello University Press.
[3] Al-Azami, M. M. (2003). The history of the Qur'anic text: From revelation to compilation. Leicester: UK Islamic Academy.
[4] Bano, M. (2009). Engaged yet disengaged: Islamic schools and the state in Kano, Nigeria. Religion and Development, 3(1), 32–50. https://doi.org/10.1080/01438300902730123
[5] Boyd, J., & Mack, R. (1997). Education, Islam, and the West African experience. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.
[6] Fiagbah, G. (2001). Islamic education and modernity in West Africa. Comparative Education Review, 45(2), 123–141.
[7] Gordon, M. (2004). The Arabic language and national identity: A study in ideology. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
[8] Last, M. (2000). The Sokoto Caliphate: Islamic learning and the Hausa Muslim community. London: Longman.
[9] Loimeier, R. (2003). Patterns and peculiarities of Islamic reform in Africa. Journal of Religion in Africa, 33(3), 237–262.
[10] Umar, M. S. (2001). Education and Islamic trends in Northern Nigeria: 1970s–1990s. Africa Today, 48(2), 127–150.
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How to cite this paper
@article{1709078,
author = {Dr. Bello Muhammad, Nasir Usman Muhammad},
title = {Arabic Language in The Curriculum of Tsangaya and Islamiyya Schools in Northwestern Nigeria: A Comparative Study},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2025},
volume = {8},
number = {12},
pages = {388-396},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1709078.pdf},
abstract = {This study examine at how the Arabic language is taught in Tsangaya and Islamiyya schools in Northwestern Nigeria. It focusses on how each system teaches Arabic within its own educational framework. Tsangaya schools use traditional, oral-based methods that are based on memorising the Qur'an. Islamiyya schools on the other hand, tend to have a more structured curriculum that incorporates grammar, reading and writing. Using a qualitative approach, this study draws significantly on secondary literature to show how these two systems have changed over time and how they teach. Interviews with a few teachers and school administrators in Zamfara and Sokoto states provided primary data that added to the analysis. The results show that there are big variations between the two systems in terms of what they teach, what they want students to learn and the overall philosophy of education that guides each one. The report says that both systems provide a lot to help kids learn Arabic and about religion, but that Islamiyya schools are becoming more in line with modern educational needs. The study also adds to the current discussions over indigenous education, Arabic teaching and the future of Islamic schools in Nigeria's Muslim-majority areas.},
keywords = {Arabic language, Tsangaya, Islamiyya, curriculum, Northwestern Nigeria},
month = {June},
}