Children begging for Qur’anic school masters: evidence from West and Central Africa

This briefing paper focuses on children in Sahelian countries, who are enrolled in Qur’anic schools and beg as part of their education. In the region, Islamic education predates colonization and the establishment of mission and secular state schools. Ideologies about religion, politics and education have shaped how Qur’anic schools have transformed and proliferated over time and have resulted in a wide variety of schools today. The specific focus in this paper on Talibés who beg provides a partial picture of religious education in Qur’anic schools. Based on the review of a broad range of literature – spanning from newspaper articles, to reports of commissioned research, to Master and Doctoral theses, to peer reviewed academic publications – this briefing paper aims to unpack why children become Talibés and the conditions in which they live, including the time spent begging. The paper also raises a number of issues that need further investigation.