By
Kartik Lokhande
“If alternative education
must continue, it should be made competitive and practically useful to a student.
One can learn to be a good Muslim without going to a madrassa, but one cannot
learn Algebra without going to school.”
This is
the statement from an editorial published in the multi-edition Pakistan-based
daily ‘The Nation’ on July 4, 2015, offering comment on the latest decision of
Maharashtra Government asking madrassas to teach Science, Mathematics, English,
and Social Sciences. Sadly, while this is the comment that Maharashtra
Government’s decision has evoked in Muslim-dominated nation like Pakistan,
there is much of silly and unfounded debate going on Maharashtra as well as
various other parts of India. Let us take a look at the issue.
It all
started a few days ago with the Maharashtra Government’s decision to treat
children taking education in madrassas as ‘out of school’ if the madrassas are
not teaching subjects like Science, Mathematics, English, Social Sciences. Soon,
the anti-reformists and so-called liberals flocked together and raised a bogey
that the ‘BJP-led’ Government’s move was aimed at ‘de-recognising’ the
madrassas. The emphasis on ‘BJP-led’ Government in various of animated debates on
television channels and articles published in print media and on the Internet,
revealed clearly that the opposition was a product of political passion and not
of dispassionate thinking over the issue.
Had
there been a dispassionate thinking, one would have realised that madrassas
were not recognised as formal schools. If these are not ‘recognised’ as formal
schools, how can these be ‘de-recognised’? Also, the decision of Maharashtra Government
does not pertain only to madrassas, but also to other such institutions that
have been imparting religious education. Apart from madrassas, the Government
move is also aimed at Vedshalas. However, the so-called liberals are so blinded
by political hatred and so passionate about painting each and every thing with
the colours of social and religious divides, that they failed to connect the Government
decision to the larger issue of education sector reforms.
Here,
one also needs to understand why is there opposition to teaching modern
subjects in madrassas. A reason has been pointed out by Dr K R Narayanan Centre
for Dalit and Minorities Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, in an evaluation report
prepared in December 2013 regarding implementation of Scheme for Providing
Quality Education in Madrassas. While tracing out the history of education
through madrassas, the report states, “Faced with the hostility of the British rulers and the
proselytizing activities of Christian missionaries, the ulema came to view
western knowledge with a degree of suspicion. Thus, the Madrasas that they
established developed abhorrence for modern knowledge and sciences, terming
them as ̳un-Islamic.” However,
now, times have changed. And, an independent India is fast emerging as a major global
power. At this junction, Maharashtra that hosts the economic capital of India
is adopting the modern trends in education openly. In such a situation, Maharashtra
Government’s decision regarding madrassas or Vedshalas is forward-looking.
Whether
it is in madrassas or Vedshalas, education imparted there should keep in tune
with the changing times. Of couse, there should be no objection to imparting
religious education or exposing children to good values and rich culture of
respective religions. However, it should not mean that children in these ‘schools’
should be deprived of modern education. For, it is the modern education including
subjects like Science and Mathematics that has led to many an achievement of
humanity, cutting across the barriers of religion, region, caste, creed etc.
Since
the recent debate revolves around madrassas, it must be mentioned that independent
estimates peg the number of madrassas teaching Science, Mathematics and English
in Maharashtra is more than 550. This reflects the reality that several madrassas
and forward-looking Muslims want their children to get formal education
including the modern subjects. This shows that Muslims want their children to get
‘Dini’ (religious) and ‘Duniyavi’ (worldly) education both. In a fast-changing
world, the requirements in job market also are changing very fast. In such a
situation, modern education will better equip students in madrassas to compete well
in the world.
It is keeping
these things in mind that one needs to take a dispassionate look at the decision
of Maharashtra Government. For, then, one realises that the Government move is
aimed at not only ensuring modern education for every child from every
religion, as envisioned under Right to Education (RTE) Act. For, then, one realises
that the Government move is aimed at modernisation of madrassas and enabling
them to apply for Government grants so that better facilities could be provided
to children learning there. For, then, one realises that the Government move is
part of the larger vision for education sector reforms.
(06-07-15)
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