The Lived Experiences of Quranic Boarding School Pupils in the Bawku Municipality, Ghana

Abstract

According to the Human Rights Watch there are about 5 million children attending thousands of residential Quranic schools across the globe. On continents like Africa and some parts of the Middle East where Islam is dominant, the Quranic teachers leave their homes for weeks to recruit children, placing them as young as four (4) years. For centuries, the Quranic schools have been a central institution of learning Quran recitation in Ghana. The study sought to assess the lived experiences of the Quranic boarding school pupils in Bawku. The study used both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. A combination of purposive, random and snowball sampling technique were employed to sample the respondents for the study. A total of fifty (50) participants were interviewed for the study using semi structured interview guide. The study found that only boys were sent to Quranic schools. It was further revealed that most of the children were between the ages of 10 to 19 when they are taken to live with the Quranic teachers. The majority of the children who were sent to the Quranic boarding schools were Ghanaians with quite a number coming from Burkina Faso and Togo. This study recommends that human rights activists, the Ghana Police Service and all stakeholders should enforce domestic laws that criminalize forcing another into begging for economic gain. This should include investigating and holding accountable in accordance with fair trial standards Arabic teachers and others who force children to beg for alms.