Madarsah’s Education & Reforms
According to the latest Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) survey 2008-09, the overall literacy rate (age 10 years and above) is 57% (69% for male and 45% for female) compared to 56% (69% for male and 44% for female) for 2007-08.
The world is rapidly changing and Education is getting more and more importance then it ever had. Due to globalization and emergence of new markets economies every nations needs a highly educated and skilled masses to compete and thrive. But our educational system lags behind the international requirements.
Dr Asad Saeed describes it in the following words “Our educational system is not geared towards the needs and requirements of growing and dynamic economy. Due to globalizations and technological revolution there has been tremendous growth of hi tech related industries. However, in order to capture them we need good skills in English and Math’s something which is sadly lacking in our students’’.
Education in Pakistan is divided into five levels: primary (grades one through five); middle (grades six through eight); high (grades nine and ten, leading to the Secondary School Certificate); intermediate (grades eleven and twelve, leading to a Higher Secondary School Certificate); and university programs leading to graduate and advanced degrees(Diagnostic Report MoE, Govt. of Pakistan.)
Pakistan also has a parallel secondary school education system in private schools, which is based upon the curriculum set by the University of Cambridge. Some students choose to take the O level and A level exams, which are administered by the British Council (GCE O and A level exams in Pakistan, The British Council.), in place of government exams.
All academic education institutions are the responsibility of the provincial governments. The federal government mostly assists in curriculum development, accreditation and some financing of research. English medium education is to be introduced on a phased basis to all schools across the country, (Govt of Pakistan.) Through various educational reforms, by the year 2015, the ministry of education expects to attain 100% enrolment levels amongst primary school aged children, and a literacy rate of 86% amongst people aged over 10, (Govt of Pakistan.)
The government is trying to bridge the gap between public and private education “In order to bridge Public-Private divide, governments shall take steps to bring harmony through common standards, quality and regulatory regimes (Economic survey 2009-2010).
Apart from government and private sector a large number of populace acquire their education from Madarsah’s. It is only because they can not afford other type of education which is simply due to inequality and poverty. People, who don’t have enough to eat how they can spend money on education, it is the income or wealth which restricts them from getting better/desired education. “In 2002 the country had 10,000-13,000 unregistered madrassas with an estimated 1.7 to 1.9 million students. A 2008 estimate puts this figure at “over 40,000″.”(wikipedia)
Different section of our population receive their education from different schools, for example middle class and lower middle classes receive their private schools takes government school, while privileged class takes private schools takes the private schools and the poor people who lives below the poverty line joins Madarsah’s because Madarsah’s impart education free of cost and often also provide boarding and logging facilities.
One can imagine the abilities and capabilities of the students getting education from different types of education systems. The type of school effects the earning capabilities, professional approach and mind set of a person. A person getting education from a Madarsah can not get good job and in most cases can not even gets a job. He will join the labour market as his father and most probably his son will also follow their footsteps. It is in the interest of our bureaucracy and feudal lords to keep the majority of the population ignorant, unskilled and unproductive.
Dr. Syed Jafar Ahmed says: “The educational system in all societies is organized along class lines and ours is not an exemption”
The gap between rich and poor is wider than it is in other countries, which results in totally different mind sets and practically created two nations.
Dr. Syed Jafar Ahmed says “Its ultimate result is that there are two nations representing two totally different mindsets, ethos, skills and abilities. Unfortunately, no government has ever tried to bridge this gap, which now a days is wider then it ever was ‘’.
He says’’ in the midst of all theses divisions, we have failed to evolve as nation.”
It is the most dangerous thing the majority of the population hates the rich ones (as the majority of the population is living below the poverty line).they thinks that they are actually treated as slaves and not equal citizens.
About growing terrorism and fundamentalism which is becoming challenge for the government, civil society and the people. Dr Ahmed state’’ this phenomenon is also the result of our class-driven educational system as the under-privileged who have been neglected by the state are catered by the extremists outfits who exploited them in the name of religion, regrettably, with the support of the establishment.”
New incentives have been taken in The Medium Term Development Framework (MTDF) 2005-10, in which some reforms in Madarsah’s have been suggested:
Madrassa Reforms: To enhance the capacity of such institutions government has taken many initiatives with introduction of subjects such as English, Math’s, Pakistan Studies and General Science at all levels.
Government decided to mainstream Madarsah “Deeni Madaris shall be mainstreamed by introducing contemporary studies alongside the curricula of Deeni Madaris.” (Economic survey 2009-2010).
Rs. 50.30 million was distributed amongst 288 Deeni Madaris for salaries of their teachers under Madrassa Reforms Project Monitored and evaluated 78 Madaris to check their activities carried out for teaching of formal subjects from Primary to Higher Secondary level under the project. (Economic survey 2009-2010).
I think government is trying it level best to improve the system and standard of education in Madarsah but it will take time.
Till then pray for Pakistan,
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action–
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
(Rabindranath Tagore)
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