Lere town from inception had well-learned Islamic scholars in the field of Qur’anic recitation, jurisprudence, theology, prophetic tradition, philosophy and astrology. Such scholars include Mallam Abdul Aziz, Liman Manu, Mallam Adamu, Alkali AbdulWahab, Mallam Sambo Hari known as Dembo, Liman Ibrahim, Na’ibi Lawal and a host of others. These scholars established schools at different period of time in Lere town. The Islamic education begins with the slate reading (karatun allo) and it was normally done in a zaure or under the shade of a tree. The pupils were taught how to recite the verses of the Glorious Qur’an, which is recited many times until the mallam be came satisfied that everybody had memorised it correctly. There were two categories of schools; the first is mainly for the indigenes of the town, while the second was meant for those who come from other places to acquire Islamic education. Pupils in the second group are always referred to as almajirai. They came as students seeking for knowledge together with their mallams. Before the coming of western education to Lere town, the normal teaching hours began in the morning then followed by the afternoon class; while that of the last part occurs in the late evening.
Similarly, another kind of Islamic school developed and it is referred to as the contemporary Islamic form of education called the Islamiyya schools with different curricula. This type of education was founded in Lere town in 1967 by Alhaji Bello Yusuf, an Arabic teacher, who later became an alkali. He became its first teacher, while Mallam Shehu Magawata and Alhaji Aliyu Sana’a became patrons of the school.
By 1903, the whole Northern Nigeria came under the British rule. The Indirect rule system was introduced to govern the region through the emirs and chiefs under the Native Authority. In order to have the personnel in the Native Authority, the British introduced western education in the region and initially schools were mainly intended to produce clerks, scribes and interpreters. Therefore, education picked a slow pace between 1903 and 1914. But after the amalgamation of Nigeria and the First World War, western schools began to proliferate in northern Nigeria. In Lere district, there was only a missionary school in Gure between 1929 and 1933. In Lere town, Ahmadu Babban Zaria was the first to acquire western education. He attended a primary school in Zaria. Later Alhaji Ya’u Lere, Sarkin Zana, went to Kubau elementary school in 1929.
Western education had been possible in northern Nigeria as a result of the involvement of traditional institution. When the British colonial administrators wanted to introduce western education, they discovered that there were some difficulties. The difficulty was that the people in the region were already educated in Arabic and Islamic studies. The people were not illiterate, advanced and very progressive. The local administration across the region was run effectively and their was baitul mali (treasury) and all accounts were kept in Ajami. There was correspondence through letters and memos. Equally, there was suspicion among people that the introduction of western education would interfere with their religion. They were afraid and reluctant to send their children to school. The colonial administrators, then, pressurised, coaxed and persuaded the emirs and chiefs to send their children to school so that the talakawa might see that there was nothing harmful in it. That was why one would find the very first educated people in northern Nigeria were sons of emirs, chiefs, district heads, village heads and other important personalities. Western education gained its footing in Lere town in 1936 with the opening of elementary school which operated at the Emir’s palace in Lere.
Sarkin Lere Muhamadu Mijinyawa went round his domain and persuaded his subjects to send their children to school, and where they failed to; he used force and coercion to ensure that they complied with his instruction. The pupils were enrolled into the school by Sarkin Lere Mijinyawa. Among the first batch of pupils that attended the school were Idris Danladi, a son of Sarkin Lere Mijinyawa; Mallam Balarabe Sani (Bala Lere), Alhaji Bello Yusuf, Mallam Ibrahim Dembo Ma’aji, Mallam Danladi Be, Isyaku Paten Garu, Mallam Abdulhamid Maigaya, Yakubu Namaraisu, Gwani Muhammadu, Betiri, Ibrahim Dan Umma and one person each from the village heads, ward heads under Lere administrative structure. The first district teacher was Mallam Nuhu Dantabi, who spent three months in Lere and was replaced by Shehu Mare. Since then, western education became deeply-rooted in Lere as more and more people became enrolled into the school and some even graduated to Zaria Middle School and Katsina College (now Barewa College, Zaria). This type of education produced a class of elite in Lere town including Mallam Idris Danladi, a former Commissioner in North-Central State; Ibrahim Dembo Ma’aji, a diplomat; Mallam Bala Lere, a statistician; Mallam Ahmad Ben Musa (Ahmadu Lere), a top civil servant, who was killed in the ill-fated military coup of January 16, 1966; Alhaji Ya’u Lere (Sarkin Zana), a former member of Northern House of Representatives.
His Royal Highness, Alhaji Umaru Muhammad, the 12th Emir of Lere; Alhaji Ahmed Dabo Muhammed, former Executive Governor of Kaduna State; retired Brigadier General Garba Muhammad, former Military Governor of Sokoto State; Alhaji Abubakar Dantsoho Ja’afar, a retired civil servant; Alhaji Zubairu Dabo, a pharmacist; Alhaji Abubakar Atiku Yusuf (OON), a retired qadi; Qadi Bello Dembo; Justice Muhammadu Lawal Bello and a host of others. Lere town had few educational institutions apart from the primary school (now renamed Dabo Muhammad Lere Model Primary School). Until recently, the people have to go out to other places to seek further education. It was in 1985 that a secondary school was established and six years later a zonal education office (now defunct) was opened in Lere town to serve two local governments – Lere and Kauru. Going by the above analysis five phases of development in western education can be identified. The first phase was the foundation stemming from the attempt by British colonial administrators to introduce western style of education with the aim of producing a class of literates that will assist them in strengthening their colonial rule. Not only was the school ill-equipped, but the level of education itself did not exceed middle school. The product of elementary school ended up as clerks, forestry officers, judges of alkali court and scribes. But a few of the pupils graduated to post primary schools in Zaria.
The second phase was the development of western education during the First Republic in which a growing number of students of Lere elementary school went to post primary institutions in Zaria and Katsina. Adult education classes were also encouraged during this period in Lere town as two classes were established in 1963. The third phased covering the period of military rule from 1966 to 1979 ushered in a new generation of students who had access to western education at all levels. However, during this period no signifcant development in terms of infrastructure was achieved until 1970 when the local education authority was established and Lere elementary school became Lere Primary School. The number of pupils in the school increased, partly because of increase in population and also because those who furthered their education then were fairing well both in government and private businesses. Then came the local government reforms of 1976, as a result of which, there was also improvement in the field of education. The Universal Primary Education (UPE) was introduced and Lere Primary School was renovated, equipped and more teachers were employed. In addition, a secondary school was established in the district. This was the Government Secondary School, Saminaka which was founded in 1973. Thus, people of Lere town could now attend post primary school nearby.
The fourth phase marked the period of the Second Republic from 1979-1983, during which efforts were made by the government to establish several day secondary schools. Many indigenes of Lere got opportunity to attend secondary education. And a large number of them went to higher institutions of learning. The Second Republic, however, was brougth to an end through a military coup in 1983. This marked the beginning of the fifth phase of western education in Lere. This period witnessed the establishment of a Day Secondary School in 1985, which made it easier for both boys and girls to attend and further their education. More people are now attending universities and higher institution of learning as a result of which different professionals emerged. Between 1960 and 2021, Lere town has produced graduates in different professions such as law, accountancy, medicine, engineering, arts, social sciences, journalism, banking among others.