Madrasa Reforms: Issues and Challenges Introduction After the attacks on twin towers of the world trade center in New York on September 11, 2001, Pakistani madrasas became particularly the center of international attention. They were thought to be the breeding ground for religious extremism and militarism. The Pakistani and U.S. government used the madaris and influenced their curriculum to intentionally encourage students to engage in sectarian militancy in the areas bordering Afghanistan. Given the history of Pakistan’s involvement and support to Mujahideen in Afghan war and alliance with Taliban the United States and other Western countries started exerting pressure on the Government of Pakistan to control and regulate madrasas effectively. Additionally, the fact that a majority of madrasa students come from resource poor households and that they don’t have means to afford mainstream education lead the Western think tanks conclude that reforming the madrasa curriculum and bringing them to the mainstream of national education was a long term solution to what was considered a grave security threat. Responding to the pressure, the Government initiated a number of measures which generated debate, controversies and resistance. The madrasa authorities are trying to guard their territory and to keep the state machinery at a safe distance. So far the attempts to bring madrasas to the mainstream of education have yielded miserable results and a Rs. 5.7 billion worth mega project ended in total failure. But this cannot be taken as yet another failure of a government project. It is the question of the future of more than three million children, their role and contribution in the society and the menace of unprecedented sectarianism and intolerance that would ultimately hamper the possibilities and opportunities for personal and social development.
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Madrasa Reforms: Issues and ChallengesIntroduction
After the attacks on twin towers of the world trade centerin New York on September 11, 2001, Pakistani madrasas becameparticularly the center of international attention. Theywere thought to be the breeding ground for religiousextremism and militarism. The Pakistani and U.S. governmentused the madaris and influenced their curriculum tointentionally encourage students to engage in sectarianmilitancy in the areas bordering Afghanistan. Given thehistory of Pakistan’s involvement and support to Mujahideenin Afghan war and alliance with Taliban the United Statesand other Western countries started exerting pressure on theGovernment of Pakistan to control and regulate madrasaseffectively. Additionally, the fact that a majority ofmadrasa students come from resource poor households and thatthey don’t have means to afford mainstream education leadthe Western think tanks conclude that reforming the madrasacurriculum and bringing them to the mainstream of nationaleducation was a long term solution to what was considered agrave security threat. Responding to the pressure, theGovernment initiated a number of measures which generateddebate, controversies and resistance. The madrasaauthorities are trying to guard their territory and to keepthe state machinery at a safe distance.
So far the attempts to bring madrasas to the mainstream ofeducation have yielded miserable results and a Rs. 5.7billion worth mega project ended in total failure. But thiscannot be taken as yet another failure of a governmentproject. It is the question of the future of more than threemillion children, their role and contribution in the societyand the menace of unprecedented sectarianism and intolerancethat would ultimately hamper the possibilities andopportunities for personal and social development.
It is of utmost importance to address critical questions ofthe sincerity and vigilance of the government, the design ofthe initiatives, the approach and interventions, and theresponse of the madrasas; what makes federations of alldenominations get together and resist as one unit. And also,would the present focus on madrasas would help the cause ofeducation in Pakistan.
Strategic Objectives
To find out and analyze the causes of the failure ofMadrasa Reform Project and its way forward
To initiate advocacy campaign by conducting in-depthconsultation process on the roles and responsibilitiesof madrasa education in human development
Methodology
The study started with desk research to have abackground on madrasa education, various initiatives tobring it in the mainstream of education and theresponse of the madaris. A special focus has been givento Madrasa Reform Project.
An attempt has been made to have the views of differentstakeholders so that a holistic picture and objectiveconclusions could be drawn. Ministries of Education andReligious Affairs, Technical Education and VocationalTraining Authority, were interviewed. It was extremelydifficult to have any information relating to MadrasaReform Project from the concerned ministries in Lahore.The Ministry of Religious Affairs denied anyinformation on madrasa reforms as according to them therole of the ministry was to just keep the lists ofmadrasas registered with the government. The actualregistration took place with the Industries Department.They didn’t have the breakdown based on gender, numberof students and teachers and their affiliation with
various federations.i The Department of Education(Schools) had no connection with Madrasa ReformProject. It was a project of the Federal Ministry ofEducation and even the project office was based inIslamabad. When asked the project was supposed to befunctioning at the national levels they must becoordinating at the provincial levels what were theircontact points in the provinces they showed completeignorance.ii Deputy Education Advisor of the FederalMinistry of Education at Islamabad later told in adetailed interview with him that the Madrasa ReformProject was implemented in Punjab direct fromIslamabad. The principal of Apprentices Training Center(ATC) and manager Al-Khair International Islamic Centerin Lahore were also interviewed to assess the runningand impact of the TEVTA interventions at madrasa level.
In order to have views of the madrasa authorities itwas considered pertinent to interview therepresentatives of madrasa federations.
There are interventions by certain NGOs to attemptbring madrasas in the mainstream of education andsociety. There such initiatives were interviewed tounderstand the meaning and the impact of suchendeavors. The projects by Ali Institute of Education,Sudhaar and Bargad were visited and interviewed.
Consultation meetings were also held to brainstorm andstrategize.
State of Education in Pakistan
In order to give a clear perspective to attempts ofreforming and mainstreaming religious schools it isimportant to have a vivid picture of the mainstreameducation, its strengths and weaknesses. Does it providelearners with a clear worldview? Does it equip the learnerswith tools of analysis? Does it create a culture ofdemocracy, tolerance, social justice and peaceful co-existence? Is it informed of the professional requirements
of the labor market? Does it prepare and groom the learnersfor practical and professional life? Is it able to produceenlightened minds the society is so desperately in need of?
Human Development Report 2009 gives Pakistan a rank of 169and 134 out of a total of 182 countries in combined grossenrolment ratio and adult literacy rate respectively. Theoverall country human development index (HDI) stands at141.iii This should not come as a surprise given the dismalresource allocation for education in the national budget.Despite policy promises of increasing the education budgetto seven percent of the GDP by 2015iv one witnesses apersistent downward trend in budgetary allocations. In theyear 2009-10 the amount earmarked for the sector is twopercent of the GDPv that is substantially lower than theprevious years; 2.5 percent was the budget for the year2006-7. The fact makes the picture bleaker that Pakistan’sexpenditure on education remains the lowest among the SouthAsian countries. Additionally, annual resource allocationdoes not necessarily mean actual spending; big chunks ofmoney could be taken away from education and reallocated toother sectors. Project Management Unit of Ministry ofEducation started a five year mega project worth Rs. 31.7billion in 2007 to provide missing facilities underPresident’s Education Sector Reform (PESR) Project. For theyear 2009‐2010, an amount of Rs. 2000 million was originallyallocated which was later curtailed to Rs. 800 million.vi
Most recently, the federal minister for finance refused toprovide funds to the cash-strapped Higher EducationCommission. Instead, he asked it to generate its ownresources.vii
With more than 6.8 millionviii out of school childrenPakistan stands at number 117 out of 128 countries,according to UNESCO Education for All Development MonitoringReport 2010. A closer look at education for all developmentindex shows worse rating for net primary enrolment ratiothat gives a rank of 123 while gender specific EDI puts the
country at number 121.ix With such dismal performancefulfilling international commitments looks a far away dream. The international parameters of access and equity and evenquality are focused on quantitative considerations like rateof enrolment, participation and retention which merely opensthe door for achieving the real purpose of education. Theissues of relevance of content and methodology, process ofteaching and learning, performance and outcomes, provisionof tools of analysis and provocation of creativity remainunaddressed. The content and method do not respond to thepresent day realities. Children are made to memorize acertain volume of information no matter how irrelevant it isto the realities of a child’s life. The system of assessmentmakes the learners swallow a certain length of text withoutabsorption and then throw out on the day of examination.There is no preparedness for the job market and unemploymenthas created frustration and despair among the youth. Thesystem fails to inculcate civic values and behavioral skillswhich is such a basic role of any system of education. Thereis nothing that promotes pluralism, diversity and tolerance.How can such a system help learners polish their facultiesof critical and creative thinking? How can a mass of peoplebe turned into human capital that can take a nation to newheights of development?
There are thousands of schools in the country which existunder deplorable conditions. They are ‘functional’ withoutboundary walls, learning space, furniture, latrines,drinking water, teachers and what to talk aboutmethodologies promoting joyful learning, co-curricularactivities, thought provoking interaction and exposure andreading facilities like libraries. How many primary schoolsin the villages have more than two rooms and one teacher forfive to seven classes if those classes actually exist? Howmany schools have science laboratories to promote scientificenquiry and how many schools have computer labs to hone theproblem solving and logical thinking skills?
Most of the public sector schools have lost credibility andtrust in the eyes of the people. Even the resource poorilliterate parents would prefe,r with all the resourcecrunch, to send their children to the much more expensiveprivate schools, if they can. The mushrooming of all kindsof private schools all over the country is an ample evidenceof the failure of the government schools to deliver.
In this milieu, National Education Policy 2009 advocates auniform national educational system as a surety to equity andunity that accommodates diversity. It sees the unevendistribution of resources and opportunities an outcome ofinjustice, political instability, inequity and poverty whichpromotes social exclusion. And increased social exclusion findsexpression in different forms like ethnic strife, sectarianismand extremism.x The presence of private schools and madaris isperceived as violation of the principle of uniformity andunequivocally wants them to blend in the oneness of the nationaleducational systems by way of curricula, educational standards,costs and conditions and learning environment.xi
Poverty compels majority of the parents to send theirchildren to madrasas not only for education that help themearn merit and virtue in eyes of the Almighty but morepressingly for food and shelter. Leaning to be religiousfunctionaries in the mosques enhances their social andeconomic status in a big way and unlike mainstream schoolgraduates they hardly face unemployment problems.
The endeavors to mainstream deeni madaris predate thepresent education policy but it definitely represents themindset that gave birth to actions like Madrasa ReformProject. “Deeni Madaris shall be mainstreamed byintroducing contemporary studies alongside the curricula ofDeeni Madaris to enhance prospects of their students topursue higher studies, research and excellence and to ensureemployment, recognition and equivalence.”xii
The policy proposes the establishment a madrasa educationauthority by the federal government with the followingmandate:
Provision of opportunity for all existing and futureMadaris to excel and enhance the services they alreadyprovide to the nation.
Arrangement of funds for education and socio-economicwelfare of students.
Provision of infrastructure and equipment forimprovement of existing facilities.
Provision of further training to enhance skills ofteachers.
Provision of support in vocational training to equipstudents to generate income.
Provision of advice and assistance in streamliningpolicies, objectives and syllabi to give graduates acompetitive edge in the job market and for placement ininstitutions of higher education.xiii
Madrasas in Pakistan
Before proceeding further to study the initiatives of thegovernment to bring madrasas in the mainstream of theeducation it is useful to have a glance on the genesis,mandate and presence of madrasa in Pakistan.
Madrasas in their genesis were not meant to produce onlykhatibs and imams. The objective was to educate people toproduce human capital capable of offering accountants,clerks, teachers, judges, bureaucrats, geographers etc.Dars-i-Nizami first introduced by Mullah Nizamuddin Sihalvi(d.1747) included religious and secular subjects as theobjective was ‘both to equip the students for civil servicejobs and as an aid to understanding religious texts’.xiv Inaddition to Islamic law, Jurisprudence, Hadith, and Tafsir(exegesis of the Quran), dialectical theology and life ofthe Prophet the disciplines of grammar, rhetoric, prosody,logic, philosophy, Arabic literature, medicine, mathematicsand polemics were introduced. If there is a seriousness
behind striking a balance between religious and seculareducation the very origins of Dars-i-Nizami provide a strongjustification for bringing madrasas at par with the demandsof the present day world. Additionally, present day madrasasare not equipped to teach their own curriculum in itsentirety.
After the fall of Muslim rule in India the Britishintroduced secular education that was rejected by majorityof the Muslims. Madrasas were seen as a means to fortifytheir Islamic identity. Barring a few progressiveinitiatives madrasas locked themselves in to the centuriesold curriculum which was forward looking at the time of itsgenesis but had become irrelevant to a great extent.
After the creation of Pakistan, madrasas continued to keep aguarded distance from the system of mainstream education. In1947, there was a negligible presence of madrasas; thefigures quoted by various sources range from 189 to 245which dramatically increased in the early 1980s thanks tostate patronage General Zia ul Haq being at the helm ofaffairs.
According to the Ministry of Religious Affairs website thereare 19,104 registered madrasas in the country as on 31 March2010. Another four hundred and twenty seven applicationswere in the process of registration.xv The data furnished byPunjab Auqaf Department shows a different picture for theprovince of Punjab. The number of registered madrasas beforethe promulgation of Societies Act (Second Amendment)Ordinance 2005 is 6,346 as against the number of 5,977 andthe ones registered after the Ordinance are 6,422 as on 30July 2010 that brings the total to 12,768 while the websiteshows the presence of 11,465 madrasas in the province ofPunjab.
No information is provided on the strength of students andteachers. Likewise, there is no breakdown given based ontheir affiliations with various Wafaqs. According toPakistan Education Statistics 2007-08, the then 12,448
registered madrasas had a total enrolment of 1.603 millionand a total of 55,680 teachers.xvi
Wafaq-ul-Madaris-al-Arabia representing Sunni HanafiDeobandi denomination claims to have 15,000 madrasasregistered with them. The actual number could be somewherein the range of 40,000.
It is interesting to note the presence of 140 madrasas inthe Islamabad Capital Territory as against 786xvii primary,middle and secondary mainstream schools.
Registered Madrasas in Pakistan*Registered Before the Promulgation of the Societies Act
(Second Amendment) Ordinance 2005Punjab 5977Sindh 2307Khyber Pakhtunkwa Data Not AvailableBalochistan 449ICT 15
Registered After the Promulgation of the Societies Act(Second Amendment) Ordinance 2005
Applications for Registration in ProcessPunjab 275Sindh 101Khyber Pakhtunkwa 26Balochistan 05ICT 20Total 427
*As on 31 March 2010
All these madrasas are not homogenous in terms of physicalspace, strength of students, courses on offer and strengthof teachers. They range from madrasas with imposingbuildings, sophisticated equipment and thousands of studentsto one to two room space with limited number of studentswith one teacher. Majority of madrasas provide a source ofself-employment. As madrasas are seen by the localcommunities as providers of religious education and as theyplay a role especially in the death rites they receivesupport in cash and kind.
In smaller madrasas which can be graded as maktab and wherethe focus is on nazra and tajweed many graduates do not knowhow to read and write what to talk about other educationalattainments. But madrasas graduated young men are steeped inthe doctrine of armed jihad against the enemies of Islam. Asa result a number of these madrasas allegedly becamerecruiting grounds for Jihadis to fight against the enemiesof Islam in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Some of them are nowturning against their own government as suicide bombers orassassins. This is not a good omen for a hitherto a secularand tolerant society entrenched in the sufi traditions ofuniversal brotherhood.
The learners who populate these madrasas come generally fromresource poor households and are children without shelter.There are certain lower middle class households which sendtheir children to madrasas for hifz (memorizing of theQuran) and after that to the mainstream schools.
Governance of Madrasas
Madrasas are organized on the basis of their particulardenominations. Every denomination has its own federation ofreligious schools. Following the typical structure ofSocieties Act, 1860, all the madrasas that choose toaffiliate with the federation, which in effect are themembers of the said society, constitutes the general bodywhile a selected body of ulema forms the executive body.Large number of madrasas are affiliated to these federations
as the certificates given by them ensure recognition anduniformity. The affiliation does not mean that madrasas aremanaged and controlled by the federations but undoubtedlythere is a sense of fraternity among the web of religiousschools.
Madrasa Federations in PakistanName Affiliation Headquarters Date
EstablishedWafaq-ul-Madaris-al-Salafia
Ahl-e-Hadith Faisalabad 1955
Wafaq-ul-Madaris-al-Arabia
Deobandi Multan 1959
Wafaq-ul-Madaris Shia
Shia Lahore 1959
Tanzim-ul-Madaris
Barelvi Lahore 1960
Rabitatul-Madaris-al-Islamia
Jama’atIslami
Lahore 1983
The data available shows that the highest number of madrasasbelongs to the Hanafi Deobandi school of thought followed byHanafi Barelvi, Ahl-e-Hadith, Jamat-e-Islami and Shiarespectively.
Madrasa Reform Initiatives
Pakistan Madrasa Education Board
In 2001, Pakistan Madrassa Education Board was set up forestablishing model madrasas; improving and securing theuniformity of the standard of education and integration ofthe system of Islamic education imparted in madrasas withinthe general education system; securing the registration,regulation, standardization and uniformity of the curriculaand standard of education of madrasas; imparting specialized
Islamic education in Pakistan along with the generaleducation system; maintaining the autonomous character ofreligious schools; bringing education and training impartedin religious institutions in consonance with therequirements of the modern age and the basic tenets andspirit of Islam; providing greater opportunities in nationallife for the graduates of madrasas; according recognition ofthe degrees, certificates and asnad (certificates) awarded bymadrasas; and regulating their examination system.
After establishing the model madrasas the idea was to bringreforms in 15,000 existing madrasas on the pattern of thealready established model madrasas. Five major madarisgroups were supposed to nominate one member each for theboard but they declined to do so. Additionally, the madrasaswere required to get affiliation with the Board which theydid not accept. Since the formation of Madrasa EducationBoard, only three model madrasas could be established. A fewhundred madrasas from Barelvi denomination did affiliatewith the Board but later they withdrew succumbing to thepressure from the madrasa federations. The madrasa boardshad warned that they would cancelthe registration of any madrasa that opted for affiliationwith the PMEB, and the MMAgovernment in the then NWFP advised madrasas to registerinstead under the existing Societies Act. By registering underthe Societies Act, madrasas gained legal sanction for theirexistence and, at the same time, circumvented any officialcontrol on their functioning.
The federation of the different organizations of themadrasas, thus, refused to cooperate with the governmenteither on the registration issue or on the question ofcurriculum reform. As a result, the Board remaineddysfunctional. At present, there are three model madrasasworking under the Board - in Karachi and Sukkhar for boysand in Islamabad for girls.
Madrasa Reform Project
“We have formulated a new strategy for madrasas and there isneed to implement it so as to galvanize their good aspectsand remove their drawbacks. We have developed new syllabifor them, providing for teaching of Pakistan studies,mathematics, science and English along with religioussubjects.…To me, students of religious schools should bebrought into the mainstream of society. If any one of themopts to join college or university, he should have theoption of being equipped with modern education. If a childstudying at a madrasa does not wish to be a prayer leaderand he wants to be a bank official or seek employmentelsewhere, he should be facilitated. It would mean that thestudents of madrasas should be brought to the mainstreamthrough a better system of education”,xviii President PervaizMusharaf expounded the rationale of the new initiative monthsbefore launching Rs. 5.7 billion mega project on reforming themadrasas in the country.
In August 2002, Madrasa Reform Project was launched with thebroad aim to mainstream madrasa education with formaleducation system through teaching subjects like English,Mathematics, General Science and Pakistan Studies tostudents from primary to secondary level and English,Economics, Computer Science and Pakistan Studies to HigherSecondary level in 8,000 madrasas. The ambition of reforming15,000 madrasas under Pakistan Madrasa Education Board wasbrought down to almost half. The other objectives were asfollows:
o To integrate religious education with formaleducation and to bridge gulf between two parallelstreams of education.
o To establish and strengthen lines of communicationwith madrasas.
o To improve the quality of education throughprovision of textbooks, sport facilities, 5,000computers, 1,000 printers, equipments etc. Thecomputers and printers were only for highersecondary level.
o To release one time grant to madrasas forimprovement of their libraries.
The five year project from 2002-03 to 2006-07 targeted 1.5million students – 4,000 of primary level, 3,000 of middleand secondary levels and 1,000 of higher secondary level.
Targets and Achievements of Madrasa Reform ProjectTargets Achievements
Salaries of 32,000 teachers of8,000 schools
Salaries of 2,374 teachers of 507madrasasPunjab 56Sindh 46NWFP 81FATA 107FANA 32AJK 121ICT 12
Introducing formal subjects in8,000 madrasas to benefit 1.5million students
Introduced formal subjects in 507madrasas and benefitted 50,000students
Releases and utilization of Rs.5759.395 million
Released and utilized Rs. 417.514million
Source: Ministry of Education, Islamabad.
Unfortunately, the government failed to meet its target ofreforming 8,000 religious schools within five years; thethree ministries involved in the project blaming each otherfor its failure. Only 6.3 percent i.e. 507 out of 8,000targeted madrasas and 3.3 percent of the students could bereached, spending 417.514 million rupees and the rest of the5,341.881 million allocation has lapsed.xix
Coordination and consensus building remained a greatchallenge that could not be surmounted. National SteeringCommittee, the apex decision making body under Ministry ofEducation could not convene a single meeting during the fiveyears of the project that shows the extant of the slacknessof the government machinery. Lack of coordination andclarity on the respective roles of the ministries involvedand mistrust between Ministry of Education and Ministry of
Religious Affairs were the stumbling blocks to take theproject forwards. Lack of preparedness, shared vision andcommitment within the state departments provided ampleplaying ground for the madrasa authorities. The madrasafederations took full advantage of the confusion of thestate machinery and resisted the reforms with force.Interestingly, all madrasa federations otherwise at daggersdrawn got together and pushed the reforms back united underthe flag of Ittehad-e-Tanzeemat Madaris Deenia.
Under the new policy, Madrasa Education (Welfare) Authoritywould be established to register foreign students, introduceuniform syllabus and audit of funds. The new proposal underconsideration is to
Establish 20 model madrasas; four in each province andone each in FATA, FANA, AJK and ICT at a cost of Rs.366.715 million
Improvement of madrasa education system for 2000madrasas with a budget of Rs. 3402 million
It is not known with madrasa authorities still resisting onwhat grounds and preparedness the new project has beenproposed.
Madrasa Response to Reform Initiatives
It is of vital importance to understand the root causes ofthe resistance from the madrasa leadership to accept thechanging socio-economic and political realities andaccommodate them in their curriculum and educational systemwhich is very close to the spirit of Islam. Resistance frommadrasa leadership to accept participation of otherstakeholders in the management of madrasas is rooted intheir monopoly on imparting the religious knowledg. As onemadrasa administrator put it, how does the Government knowanything about the administration of religious education;they know nothing. This monopoly gives them not onlyreligious leadership but tremendous amount of political
power, especially when the political will and thegovernment’s writ is so weak.
In the case of the Deeni Madaris (Voluntary Registration andRegulation) Ordinance 2002, the government sought voluntaryregistration of madrasas. Several deadlines were announcedbut the response from the madrasas was of continueddefiance. It was only when the second ordinance was amendedto remove the requirement of reporting the income andexpenditure statements to the government that the madrasasagreed to registerxx. Article twenty one of the SocietiesAct 1860 that was inserted by the Societies Registration(Amendment) Act 2005 (XIII of 2005) and substituted by theSocieties Registration (Amendment) Act 2006 (VII of 2006)reads as follows:
“Registration of Deeni Madaris.– (1) All Deeni Madaris,by whatsoever name called, shall not operate without gettingthemselves registered:
Provided that the Deeni Madaris, which are establishedafter the commencement of this Act, shall get themselvesregistered within one year of their establishment.
Explanation. One Deeni Madrassah, having more than onecampus, shall need only one registration.
(2) Every Deeni Madrassah shall submit annual reportof its educational activities to the Registrar.
(3) Every Deeni Madrassah shall cause to be carriedout audit of its accounts by an auditor and submit a copy ofits audit report to the Registrar.
(4) No Deeni Madrassah shall teach or publish anyliterature which promotes militancy or spreads sectarianismor religious hatred:
Provided that nothing contained herein shall bar thecomparative study of various religions or schools of thoughtor the study of any other subject covered by the Holy Quran,Sunnah or the Islamic jurisprudence.
Explanation. In this section “Deeni Madrassah” means areligious institution and includes a Jamia, Dar-ul-Uloom,School, College, University or called by any other name,
established or operated primarily for the purposes ofimparting religious education, which provides boarding andlodging facilities.”
As regards the inclusion of formal school curriculum,Madrasa authorities agree to the idea of incorporatingmainstream school subjects like English, Pakistan Studies,General Science and Computer Science in their curriculum butthey insist on having a separate Madrasa Education Boardthat would be independent of other education boards andwould be run by the madrasa authorities themselves. In thewords of Maulana Hanif Jullundri, ‘madaris have no objectionagainst secular education. On the contrary, it is their ownagenda. Since 1989, in Jamia Al-Khair nobody can getadmission without holding a matriculation certificate.Teachers would be hired in accordance with the standards setby the government and the curriculum prescribed by thefederal board would be followed. All five federations wantestablishment of madrasa education board through an act ofparliament. If Agha Khan University could be allowed aseparate board why can’t madrasas have a separate board?’ Hefurther maintained, the government should have the claritywhat they want to do. Do they want to reform madrasas or tocontrol them?
In July 2003, the Wafaq-al-Madaris al-Arabia, representing Sunni Hanafi Deobandi schools,decided to include computer science and other subjects in itsprescribed curricula, in line with the official madrasa reformpolicy. It seems though the decision has been taken inprinciple but in reality a majority of madrasas offering pre-dars e Nizami education are limited in their work to Nazra(reading the text of the Holy Quran without knowing themeaning) and Hifz (memorizing the text of the Holy Quran).
At present, the syllabus of Dars e Nizami for boys that is spread over a period of twelve years and taught by Wafaq-al-Madaris al-Arabia includes subjects of English, Urdu, Social Studies, Pakistan Studies, Science and Mathematics from grade six to ten. The curriculum for girls is different from the one
for boys (See Annex 2). Interestingly, girls are offered admission after they pass matriculation examination and boys can get admission after elementary education.
TEVTA Technical Training for Madrasas – A Success Story
While Madrasa Reform Project was dying out without yieldingany results Technical Education and Vocational TrainingAuthority (TEVTA) launched an innovative project calledTEVTA Special Training Program for Deeni Madaris to imparttraining in the latest technical and vocational skills tomadrasa students in their own premises all over the provinceof Punjab. Under the program, TEVTA has establishedtechnical training centres in thiry madrasas and offeringshort courses of three to six months duration in threestreams — technical, vocational and commerce — in 58different trades.
TEVTA is responsible for provision of machines, equipment,teaching materials, consumables and the instructors tomadrasas, to conduct examinations and award certificates tosuccessful students. No fee is charged from the students. Onthe other hand, the madrasa has to provide suitable spacefor teaching and workshop, organize admissions and ensuresixteen to twenty students for one class. Only a registeredmadrasa is entitled to sign memorandum of understanding forthe training.Madrasas send in the applications to TEVTA. Funds arereleased to government technical training institutes whichin turn sign MOUs with madrasas.
TEVTA established its first Government Technical TrainingCentre at Jamia Islamia Kamoki, on the GT Road, Gujranwalaas a pilot project with trades of electrical wiring,technician and HVRAC technician. At the moment, TEVTA istraining students of thirty madrasas – thirteen for boys andseven for girls - in different parts of Punjab.
Madrasas Receiving Training from TEVTA# Attached Institute Madrasa
1 GTTI, Gulberg, Lahore Madrasa Darul Quran wa Tarteel,Lyton Road, Lahore
6,000 madrasa students have received training from TEVTA in30 thirty madrasas. According to Deputy Manager DeeniMadaris TEVTA, there is no resistance to their program frommadrasas. On the other hand, there are one hundred moreapplications they have received to launch TEVTA program intheir madrasas.
Al-Khair International Islamic Center – One of theBeneficiaries
Government Apprenticeship Training Center in Lahore isproviding training to thirty seven students of Al-KhairInternational Islamic Center in two trades – Certificate inComputer Applications (CCA) and Electrical. Both are of sixmonth duration. Twenty students are learning in theimpressive computer lab and seventeen in the well equippedlab to develop qualified electricians.
TEVTA released an annual budget of Rs. 1,284,500 for thetraining out of which Rs. 1,096,389 were over the year fortwo batches – 38 students in the first batch and 37 in thecurrent one. All expenses are borne by the government.Examination and certification is the mandate of the PunjabBoard of Technical Education that announces the examination
schedule and conducts the examinations simultaneously allover the Punjab.
The in-charge of the Center was happy with the performanceof the TEVTA initiative and said religious education wasimportant for education and preaching while technicalinstruction was necessary for employment and earning aliving. He also shared the future plans of Al-Khair. Theywanted to start a three year diploma course on technicaleducation on their own. For certification, they intended toaffiliate with TEVTA.
Engagement of Non-Governmental Organizations with Madrasas
Some non-governmental organizations have engaged themselveswith madrasas to break their isolation, dispel thestereotypes about madrasa students and to bring them in themainstream of educational and social life. Three selectedorganizations are: Bargad for Youth Development, Sudhaar andAli Institute for Education.
Bargad - Organization for Youth Development has been workingwith madrasas for girls since 2003. To begin with, tenmadrasas were surveyed to identify skills and trainings formadrasa girls. Based on the findings trainings wereorganized on beautician, cooking course, tailoring,embroidering. A dialogue was simultaneously initiated ongender equity and the status of women in Islam. Later, atraining manual was developed on the status of women inIslam and trainings were conducted for teachers and learnersof selected madrasas in district Gujranwala. A sports galais now in the offing.
The initial response of madrasas is of distrust and they areresistant to change. As women are generally not independentin running the affairs of the seminaries it is not easy toopen a window. But relatively educated heads who areindependent in decision making to some extent are easier todeal with and to initiate a dialogue with them. Overall,
Bargad has a very positive relationship with more thantwenty five madrasas for girls. The initial ice is broken.Now Bargad receives regular invitations from them toparticipate in their activities that is testimony of asmooth relationship. The planned sports gala is anotherencouraging feature of the mutual engagement. The girlswould participate in the sports and games, naat and qiraatcompetitions in big a way.
Sudhaar – a Lahore based NGO – launched Madrassah MainstreamProject in 2007 in district Kasur with the objective tobring madrasa students into mainstream education to providethem development opportunities and to build bridges withmainstream development. The initial response from heads ofmadrasas was of mistrust but after a sustained dialogue theywere convinced and the program could be launched. Eight non-formal education centers were established in seven madrasas.Before Sudhaar interventions the children involved werelearning how to read the Holy Quran and then memorize (hifz)the scriptures. The project also engaged children inphysical sports, recreational trips, celebration of variousevents and drawing and quiz competitions. After healthscreening by the District Health Department, children werelinked with health facilities. Child protection, especiallycorporal punishment was given a special focus.
Majority of the parents valued the formal school educationand wished further school education for their children. Theygreatest impact of the project is expressed in thesemadrasas making formal primary education a regular componentof their program. There are twenties of madrasas who haverequested the NGO to start a similar program with them also.
Ali Institute for Education launched a sixteen monthMadrassa Teachers Training Programme aimed at building thecapacity of madrasa teachers in English language andprofessional teaching skills. The program started withthorough need analysis of madrasa teachers that includedwomen and men both. It included subject knowledge, lessonplanning, knowledge of learning styles, life skills, child-centred learning approaches, questioning skills, use ofaudiovisuals, development of learning materials anddocumentation skills, knowledge of assessment, assessmenttools and curriculum. Based on the findings the program wasdeveloped. During an interview with the researcher theprogram participants expressed their happiness on thecontents, environment and attitude of the teachers. Theycould also have an opportunity to interact with madrasastudents of different denominations. Their interaction overa period facilitated a better understanding of each otherand a climate of mutual respect.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Mainstream System of Education Itself Begs for Reforms and Resource Allocation
The mainstream system of education in Pakistan is failing and has produced one of the worst indicators in the world. The system representing more than 38 million learners is marred with inefficiency, ineffectiveness, low attainment and poor quality with no preparedness and response to the job market. The challenge of access, retention, quality and equity seem to be insurmountable. Teaching is still based onmemorization and rote methods and assessment is more of a test of memory. The curricula and teaching have failed to produce responsible citizens, to cultivate belief in democratic practices, tolerance and peaceful existence, to accept diversity, to cultivate recognition of the equality between the sexes and a belief in gender equity and to create an understanding of the environment and compassion
for fellow human beings. Studies show that there is less unemployment among the graduates of madrasas than the ones from mainstream schools.
Undoubtedly, the huge population of three million madrasas cannot be ignored and it is imperative to bring them in the mainstream of education and socioeconomic life. The state isresponsible for their wellbeing and bright future. But thereare serious questions about the capacity and capability of delivering for the meaningful education of more than forty million youth in the educational institutions.
Mainstreaming is not just teaching certain subjects being taught in what are called the formal schools. It is to engage the teachers and the learners of madrasas in the discourse of the issues of the contemporary world; the issues may relate to the environmental problem, the economicquestion and the social issues like gender equity, citizenship etc. Logical reflection, questioning and enquiry, that is the spirit of Islam, has to be the method and process of the educational activity.
The national educational system is in serious need of revolutionary steps, not just rhetoric, to revamp the systemand to ensure results based quality education.
Madrasas are not as Resource Poor as the Mainstream Systemof Education is. Madrasas don’t Need Exclusive MegaProjects.
There is no doubt the children who enroll in madrasasgenerally come from resource poor households but that doesnot mean that madrasas themselves are confronted withfinancial crunch. The very fact that they provide food andshelter in addition to the education is a testimony to theavailability of enough resources. Even the smaller madrasasprovide a handsome living to the owners and managers of theestablishments. No established madrasa is ever closed downfor unavailability of resources.
The budgetary focus on madrasas, therefore, is disproportionate if compared with the resource allocation tothe mainstream schools. The annual grant for a primary school that includes repairs and maintenance, procurement oflearning and teaching aids, arrangement of sports facility etc. is a meager amount of Rs. 20,000 per annum and there isno guarantee that schools would get that every year. Majority of Pakistan’s population still lives in rural areasand how does a typical primary school look like? A typical government primary school in a village would have two rooms,one or two teachers, if functional for five to six classes. The school may not have boundary walls, latrines, drinking or safe drinking water. There is no guarantee that children have furniture to sit on. Senior classes may have benches while young kids have no choice but to sit on the floor or to bring empty fertilizer bags from home to sit on.xxi There is hardly a system of monitoring of schools in place; the reason being the inefficiency of the system and lack of resources both.
The education of the children of Pakistan, including those studying in madrasas, is state responsibility. Madrasa students also deserve serious attention from the concerned department and organizations. There must be budget allocation in proportion to the total number of children in schools – government, private and madrasa. Overemphasis raises questions and creates suspicion.
Madrasas are not in dire need of financial resources; what is really needed isensuring intellectually stimulating environment.
What is Really Needed is to Break the Barrier of Exclusion, to Bring Them to the Mainstream of Life at All Levels and toEngage with Madrasas on Issues Pertaining to Present Day Issues and Realities.
The pre-requisite is to hit the wall of mistrust through engaging in ongoing dialogue with madrasas on social,
economic, technological, cultural and political issues affecting our lives. Historically, madrasas were seen as centers of economically lower classes and the population there was thought to be living on charity and not worthy of any attention. They were stuff for not very coveted positions of imams and khatibs who are in demand for certainrituals of birth, marriage and death. In the present day scenario madrasas also figure in in the discourse of extremism and militarism. On the other hand, madrasa students themselves don’t feel very comfortable with people outside their circles. They have developed a mindset that the majority population don’t see them at par and is not approving of their life style. As a result, when the graduates of mainstream and madrasa education come together there is a visible suspicion about each other. We need to melt the iron curtain between the two distrusting worlds by provision of platforms that could facilitate dialogue and exchange of ideas. Such platforms could be instrumental in promoting a culture of tolerance and peace.
Can Enlightened Minds be Developed through TechnicalTraining or Subjects Like English or Mathematics?
A person immersed in dogmatism and resultant intolerancecannot be taught open mindedness and peaceful co-existencethrough memorizing pages of irrelevant textbooks or teachinghow to fix a bulb holder or a fan. “The mid-1960s alsowitnessed important curriculum reforms in the madrassas.Among other things, the most important reform in majormadrassas was the introduction of the English language andother modern subjects, especially in the fields ofcomparative religion, history, and law. Some prominentmadrassas in Punjab linked their courses of studies with thegeneral education curriculum, thus enabling their studentsto acquire degrees from the government schools and collegesand obtain jobs in the “secular” sector also. The youngergeneration of prominent ulema families was especiallyencouraged to acquire modern (English) education to preparethem to deal with the state authorities on the one hand, and
with their modernist and fundamentalist adversaries on theother. This paid enormous dividends during the Bhutto andZia periods. Maulana Taqi Usmani (son of Maulana MuftiMuhammed Shafi) of Karachi, Pir Karam Shah of Sarghoda, andMaulana Samiul Haq (son of Maulana Abdual Haq) of AkoraKhatak and others among their cohorts, by dint of theirexposure to modern education and facility with the Englishlanguage—besides, of course, their traditional madrassaeducation— were appointed as federal Shariat Court judges,and as members of the Council of Islamic Ideology and manyother newly created Islamic institutions, commissions, andcommittees during the Zia period.”xxii
Promoting peace and harmony requires educationalinterventions of a different kind.
It is Important to Engage the People of Pakistan in aConstructive Debate through Projecting Progressive andInclusive Models of Education on Media
Progressive interpretations of Islam or such initiatives by the non-clerical representatives of the society are seen with a kind of suspicion when received in the mist of such propaganda that all those ideas were the agenda of the West,anti Islam and anti Muslims. Ironically, no genuine efforts have been made to win legitimacy for the reform. It is not enough to engage with madrasa clergy who are guardians of orthodoxy and who have to jealously guard their constituency. As there is no clear picture presented of the proposed reforms a confused controversy emerges and the public at large is left guessing and making confused decisions. Instead of creating confusion about the possible shape of a progressive model of madrasa education it is imperative to take one’s case to the people. Presenting thatmodel on the media has a great potential of getting public approval.
Dars e Nizami Curriculum Warrants Serious Gender Analysis
Even a cursory glance at the Dars e Nizami curricula shows asubstantial difference in curriculum for girls and boys. There are certain text books included which promote gender inequity and imbalance. It would be important to do a serious gender analysis and to see how it follows the highlyequitable spirit of Islam.
Madrasas Should be Brought under the National Education System
Ministry of Education should be responsible for setting the standards for the running of madrasas, their curriculum and assessment like rest of the educational institutions in the country. Given the specialized nature of the religious education, like any other specialized field of education madrasa, federations should be given representation in the decision making bodies within the education department, textbook boards and other allied organizations. A sincere and genuine effort is imperative to build an environment of mutual trust that is based on give and take.
TEVTA Offers a Useful Model of Collaboration for Technical Education
TEVTA is taking the services of technical education to the door steps of the beneficiaries without charging any costs to the madrasas or to the learners. The scheme has multiplied the opportunities and has opened additional windows of employment for the students and graduates of madrasas. The successful spread of the scheme all over the province of Punjab in a short period of time provides a learning opportunity for planners and executers of so many failed schemes.
As the graduates of mainstream schools face a serious challenge to earn a living and unlike the madrasa graduates they cannot absorb in the job market of mosques and other religious institutions, they also deserve a serious focus interms of technical education from organizations like TEVTA.
Madrasas should be Involved in the Mission of Education for All as Partners.
Endeavors should be made to from both sides to create an environment of trust and understanding to promote the agendauniversal education in the country. NGO, government and madrasa partnerships can prove very useful and pay the necessary dividends.
Education Department should be Entrusted with Dealing with Madrasas like Other Schools.
Annex 1List of Registered Madrasas in Punjab
# District No. ofRegisteredDeeni MadarisBeforePromulgation ofOrdinance
Dars e Nizami Syllabus for Boys-Twelve Year Program
Source: Wafaq ul Madaris Al-Arabia
Endnotes
i Researcher’s interviews with Director and Section Officer of Ministry of Religious Affairs, Lahore ii Researcher’s interview with Additional Secretary(General), Department of Education (Schools), Lahoreiii http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_PAK.html iv National Policy 2009v http://www.finance.gov.pk/survey/chapter_10/10_Education.pdf, p 149vi Economic Survey of Pakistan, 2009-10vii Seventy-one public varsities’ VCs threaten to resign, 17 Sep, 2010 / DAWNviiihttp://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/ pakistan/16-education-vision-2015-hs-10 ix http://www.unesco.org/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/ED/GMR/pdf/gmr2010/gmr2010-annex-01-edi.pdf x National Education Policy 2009, p 6xi National Education Policy 2009, p 4xii National Education Policy 2009xiii National Education Policy 2009xiv Ahmad, Mumtaz, Madrassa Education in Pakistan and Bangladesh, p 101-115xv http://www.mora.gov.pk/, on 15 September 2010xvi Pakistan Education Statistics 2007-08xvii Pakistan Education Statistics 2007-2008, table 0.8xviii http://www.dawn.com/2002/01/12/speech020112.htm.xix Ministry of Education, Islamabadxx Ahmad, Mumtaz, Madrasa Reforms and Perspectives: Islamic Tertiary Education in Pakistanxxi Habib, Nasira, Understanding School Councils: Situation Analysis of School Councils in Five Districts of Punjab, Khoj in collaboration with ActionAid Pakistanxxii Ahmad, Mumtaz, Madrasa Education in Pakistan and Bangladesh p 111
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