Lot’s of positive ideas, lets hope they get implemented:
http://www.dawn.com/weekly/dmag/dmag2.htm
Basic change is the target
By Nasir Iqbal
‘As many as 8,000 seminaries and 1.5 million students stand to benefit over the next five years through acomprehensive reforms package that the government is working out in consultation with the clerics,’ says Zobaida Jalal.
The following are excerpts from the interview:
Q. How many seminaries are currently providing religious education in the country? Does the government have exact data?
A. The exact number of the seminaries in the country is not known. However, the government has a list of around 11,000 such institutions. When the Education Ministry initiated a survey in 2001 in which different seminaries were asked to get themselves registered so that they could be assisted financially, about 8,000 of them underwent the process voluntarily. Later, about 3,000 or so were also registered with the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Thus, the available date is that of about 11,000 seminaries.
Before 1994, governments used to register all the seminaries. But for some reason, the then government decided to quit this policy though it continued to patronize many of them. Naturally, the government lost the count of the seminaries in the country.
Q. Why is there a delay in the setting up of the registration board when the government had announced its establishment a year ago?
A. The registration body is likely to be set up in a month’s time for which the provinces are already having workshops and internal evaluations about who should be on the board. I had asked the provincial ministers of Education in the NWFP and Balochistan where they would prefer the board to be located; under the Education ministry or that of Religious Affairs. They were very clear on the issue and said that since we are talking of streamlining the seminaries through education, it should be under the Education Ministry.
Initially, the government will target about 8,000 seminaries through financial assistance. These will be the ones that had registered themselves with the Education Ministry voluntarily. Once the registration board is in place, then any seminary could apply for assistance. Seminaries belonging to all schools of thought are willing to register themselves with the government in order to earn official assistance.
Q. Would you like to give some details about the government’s Madrassah Reforms Project?
A. The main objective of the Madrassah Reforms Project (MRP) is to teach formal subjects in 8,000 seminaries to bridge the gulf between traditional and formal education systems. Our meeting conducted to convince and open up lines of communication with different religious scholars who are running various seminaries, remained very successful and resulted in a more than positive response, as they appreciated the government’s efforts to impart formal education in addition to religious education, which they believed would help spread Islamic values.
When we say streamlining the seminaries and bringing them into the mainstream, the government is not talking about imparting religious education alone, but also introducing formal education right from primary to the high school level, like Science, Mathematics, Pakistan Studies, Social Studies, General Science and English.
The inclusion of English language as a subject in the curriculum being developed for the seminaries was the demand from the seminaries themselves, which was raised when the government was conducting the survey about the needs of the seminaries and inviting voluntary registration.
At the intermediate level, subjects like Economics, Pakistan Studies, Advance Urdu and Computer Science would also be introduced. The government is also planning to equip these seminaries with computer laboratories. Thus, the process is intended to support them with mainstream education. This is all being done in compliance with President Pervez Musharraf’s instructions.
Under the MRP, Rs4,000 will be given to the teachers for teaching formal subjects at the primary level, Rs5,000 to those who teach formal subjects at the secondary level, and Rs10,000 to teach at the intermediate level. The scheme also includes providing textbooks, stationary items, sports facilities and utility charges. All this will be in addition to a one-time grant for library and furniture to all the registered seminaries.
Q. Does the government have any figure about the number of students who would be touched by the scheme?
A. We expect that 1.5 million students, both male and female, from these 8,000 seminaries will enjoy the benefits which eventually would enable them to continue their studies in colleges and universities in the latter stage of their lives.
Q. What is the lifespan of the scheme?
A. Initially the project has been planned for five years. The seminaries will be facilitated for three years phase-wise, as 3,000, 3,000 and 2,000 during the first, second and third year, respectively. The Education Ministry will develop the textual and instructional material when required after consultation with the seminaries. The teachers for the purpose will be recruited on a contract basis as per the relevant policy in consultation with the respective provincial education departments.
Q. What will be the qualification of the teachers who will be recruited to teach subjects being introduced by the government?
A. The qualification for the recruitment of the teachers will be SSC (secondary school certificate) plus PTC (primary teachers certificate) for primary level; FA/FSc plus CT (certificate of teaching), for middle; BA/BSc plus B.Ed for SSC; and MA/MSc preferably M.Ed for Intermediate level. About 32,000 teachers are likely to be trained to improve and update their knowledge in formal subjects and teaching methodologies.
Q. There is a general opinion, perhaps influenced by the Western media, that these seminaries are producing only religious fanatics. Do you agree?
A. Yes, there is a perception, but I tend to disagree. I think 98 per cent of our seminaries are just providing literacy. Maybe the remaining two per cent are involved in fanning hatred, intolerance or producing religious extremist in society, but to contain them, the government has already taken a number of steps that include banning many of these outfits. The ministries of Interior and Religious Affairs are also on board to deal with such institutions and constant monitoring of their activities is being done.
The support and financial assistance we are talking about, is meant only for those 98 per cent seminaries which are providing basic literacy. Besides, only formal education is being introduced and the government is not going to put any restriction on what they are already teaching to their students.
Q. Are you saying that the majority of our seminaries are doing a great service to the people?
A. Yes. The majority of these seminaries have done a great service to the people. The word ‘madrassah’ is an Arabic word that means ‘school’. If you look at our seminaries, you will find that historically they were imparting education at a very balanced level by not giving only religious education, but also the worldly education. Even the greatest of Muslim scientists were the products of such seminaries. There is nothing wrong with the concept per se.
Q. But such enlightened souls are not coming from these seminaries now.
A. Unfortunately, this is true. Instead of teaching in a balanced way, our seminaries have concentrated on imparting religious education alone. I will not say that these institutions are creating any problem. In fact, they are providing education to the poorest of our society. According to the UNESCO definition of basic literacy, any person who can read or write or understand a paragraph in any language, can be called a literate person. If a person can read, write or understand the Holy Quran, which is in Arabic, that means he is a literate person. These seminaries are providing education to millions of children, to whom the government should have been providing education because, after all, it is the responsibility of the government.
Now with financial support coming from the government, these poor children will have the right to have formal education in addition to the religious education. This is what the government is trying to do. Even our Holy Prophet (PBUH) had said some 1,400 years ago that in order to acquire knowledge, one should go, if need be, all the way to China, which was not an Islamic country.
Q. There is a common perception about corporal punishments or sex abuse prevalent in the seminaries. Will the forthcoming reforms also suggest measures to discourage this tendency?
A. Unfortunately, there are complaints of corporal punishment or abuses, which, naturally, is against the law. In 2001, Pakistan ratified a convention on the child’s right, and under the cabinet decision, an ordinance was also promulgated that restricts any kind of corporal punishment to a juvenile, whether in schools, seminaries or even at the workplace. Ideologically, we are against this sin in Pakistan, but I admit that some incidents do occur off and on.