Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance the UK has provided to the government of Nigeria for (a) development of the education system in that country and (b) promotion of education aimed at countering extremist ideologies; and what support the UK provides to the government of Nigeria in monitoring what is taught in madrassas in that country.
Mr Nick Hurd
Over the last 5 years DFID’s education programmes have supported federal, state and local government education systems as well as schools, communities and teachers to enable over 600,000 children to access better quality basic education. This support has included teacher training, activities to improve access for the most marginalised children including girls, and working with the government to improve education management and financing.
In Nigeria, where access to education is low, ensuring that children have learning opportunities to acquire basic skills is a critical element in reducing their vulnerability to extremist ideologies. Our teacher training and school improvement approaches promote inclusion and positive values. DFID is working with Quranic schools in northern Nigeria to integrate basic education into their curriculum, including a social studies syllabus with lessons on religious diversity. DFID programmes have provided assistance to the government of Nigeria to design and implement a training programme for Imams and Islamic scholars in communication to counter radical messages. We also support state government institutions to monitor Quranic schools.
