Madrasas are known for being traditional seats of Islamic learning in modern India. Irrespective of the connotations the generic term madrasa carries in the contemporary political culture, thousands of madrasas are busy in improving the literacy level of the masses, without incurring the Government any expense, in most of the cases.
Two groups emerged during the delibration on the reform of madrasa education system. The majority of the views were in support of upgrading the education system in madrasa. Equipping Madrasas with modern educational infrastructure will contribute significantly towards making their role more effective in shaping young minds and their career. There is no denying the fact that they need to incorporate secular subjects in their curriculum. What is more important is to introduce student-friendly teaching methodology in the madrasa education system. Learning and then internalizing basic science, speailly computer skills, into the madrasa ethos will be of great help in this connection. These measures not only boost the morale of students, the madrasa graduates but also go a long way in enhancing their interface with the market economy. Consequently, they will be able to push their economic aspirations beyond the boundaries of madrasa-masjid.
Backwardness of Indian Muslims in the field of modern education makes chances of India to emerge as a developed nation bleaker. Modernization of Madrasas offers a solution for the problem.
The fact that madrasas still enjoy an important place in the immediate cosmological scheme of the majority of the Indian Muslims, spoke volumes about the relevance of the seminar. In the view of ongoing changes in different walks of national life, drastic restructuring is required in Madrasa education system so that the madrasa going sections of Indian Muslims can meaningfully respond to the changing needs of contemporary Indian society at large.
It was felt throughout the seminar that the madrasa education system has produced some scholars of international fame but majority of talaba is deprived of the job opportunities. How many madrasa graduates could be accommodated in mosques and madrasas? Majority of them fail to get jobs in other institutions or open market due to their ignorance of modern skills and knowledge. It should be borne in the mind that it is the economically backward sections of the society who send their children to madrasas. Those who could afford send their children to public schools to offer quality education for their children.
The seminar was a big leap towards developing a synthesis of the classical and the modern subjects. The focal accent was on exploring possibilities of using education as a mean to make Muslims familiar with the ways to integrate the revealed fundamentals and the ever transforming world of modern knowledge. It was also attempted to demonstrate how the changing realities of the physical world can be explained without diluting the core of the traditional thought.
Modernisation, in the context of the madrasas, is primarily understood in terms of the introduction of science and technology subjects in the Madrasa curriculum. A comprehensive course-structure for the discipline of history, for instance, may be one milestone towards achieving the goal. Likewise, the study of social sciences, at least one of vernacular languages and English may help the madrasa graduates in developing a symbiotic relation with the world they live in. At the primary and intermediate levels, the students need exposure to key subjects taught in the alternative system of education. An arrangement for professional training of the students should constitute an integral part of the madrasa modernization programme as the same will enable them to meet up the economic expectations of their family.
The seminar aimed at developing a roadmap for upgradtion of Madrasa Education System in India. Dr. Syed Shahid Mahdi drew attention towards the difference between the maktab and the madrasa as two terms widely used in connection with the education of the Muslim community. Maktab means Muslim elementary school (small madrasa). Until the 20th century, boys were instructed in Qur’ān recitation, reading, writing, and grammar in maktabs, which were the only means of mass education. The teacher was not always highly qualified and had other religious duties, and the equipment of a maktab was often simple. Madrasa means school: Islamic school for teaching Islamic religion and law.
Curriculum of some madrasas, especially those of the South India, symbolizes an interesting convergence of the secular and religious sciences. Some scholars have made this point repeatedly in the light of the field work carried out across the country. The madrasas of North India have proved very reluctant in incorporating the modern sciences in their curriculum. But there are exceptions in this part of India also. Jameatul Hidaya, Jaipur which has included technical subjects in its core curriculum, is also a case in point in this regard.
There were some arguments against uniformity of syllabus. Dr Ishtiaq Danish was critical of development of uniform curriculum for madrasas throughout the country. He questioned about the very concept of uniformity. He was advocating about unity in diversity concept. The syllabus should reflect regional variations.
Speaking on the Evolution of Madrasa Education, Dr. Akhlaq Ahmad Aahan has mentioned milestones of the education history of the Muslim community. During the 11th century, the Muslims established elementary and secondary schools, "Madrasas" or colleges, and even universities at cities like Delhi, Lucknow and Allahabad, mostly using Arabic as the medium of instruction. During the medieval period, there was excellent interaction between Indian and Islamic traditions in all fields of knowledge like indology, religion, philosophy, fine arts, painting, architecture, mathematics, medicine and astronomy.
Discussing about the politics of madras curriculum Dr. Ahan sys that the Nizamiah school, like the madrasas which, following it, were set up in other parts of the Muslim world, was intended to train bureaucrats for the royal courts and the administration, as well as judges (qazis), jurisprudents (fuqaha) and muftis qualified to issue fatawa or legal opinions, all of whom were appointed by the state to staff various levels of the bureaucracy. Typically, teachers as well as students were drawn from the elite, and there seems to have been little provision for the education of children from the poorer classes. The thirteenth century commentator, Ziauddin Barani, a Turkish noble attached to the court of the Delhi Sultans, insisted in his Fatawa-i-Jahandari that higher religious education and top religious and administrative posts were to be kept as a closely-guarded preserve of the foreign-born Turkish, Central Asian, Iranian and Arab Muslim elite. The poorer classes of the Muslims, in India consisting largely of ‘low’ caste indigenous converts and their descendants, were to be content merely with knowledge of the basic principles of the faith. Now the things has been changed. There is a great need to relook at the syllabus.
Prof. Baseer Ahmad Khan gave many reasons to support the reform in the education system. Despite losing their relevance to the present times, Persian and Greek Logic are still part of the Madrasa curriculum. Hindi should replace Persian there. But the reform in the madrasa education system can be achieved only after taking the ulama into confidence. The madrasa authorities will not agree to reform their curricula as the same has direct relationship with the economy of the madrasa system and also with the clout the ulama enjoy in the society. Hence, it is better to come up with an alternate education system. In this regard, the government should establish model madrasas where it will be possible to teach some modern subjects also, along with the religious sciences.
We need to think about the educational progress of the non-madrasa going 96 percent of Muslim population as well. Moreover, the government should ensure the admission of the Muslim children in its educational institutions.
There was a group of people which is critical about change in the madrasa education system. Dr. Yogi Sikand explains that the madrasas are established with the aim to produce specialists in various disciplines of the Islamic Studies. Hence, any reform initiative to reform the madrasas has to take this nature of the madrasas into account. There should be reform within the madrasa system to make its products play their role in the society in a better and engaged fashion. It is not wise to restrict the reform debate only to the curriculum. There are other related issues which call for modification as well. For instance, the salary of the madrasa staff is very low. Likewise, most of the madrasas, due to paucity of the adequate funds, can not offer balanced diet to their students. Living condition prevailing in majority of the madrasas can not be categorised as good for the health of the boarders as well as the day-scholars.
Prof. Faizanullah Farouqui started his speech with the importance of the madrasa. He puts emphasis on that Madrasas should remain madrasas and keep teaching what they teach. An arrangement should be worked out for combined education till Munshi (secondary level of schooling). Then, there should be provision for students to choose whether between a programme of religious sciences (offered in madrasas) and secular sciences (offered in government schools/colleges).
Religious education has lost its link with the job market. Not long before, the madrasas used to churn out man power for the bureaucracy and other courtly needs. The situation has changed after introduction of Macaulay’s policies. Prof. Farouqui emphasizes the need to bridge the gap between the religious education and the job economy.
Deepika shows how a collaboration between a religion organization (Jamiatul Ulama-i-Hind) and secular organizations (Kachh Mahila Parivar Sangthan & Jan Vikas Udan) can produce desired result for the community in terms of education and communal harmony.
Together they started an initiative to look into the issue of access to education and also of the quality of education, with special reference to the Muslim children in Gujarat. According to the Sachar Committee Report, 25% Muslim children have till date no access to the education. So, our effort is largely to respond to the problem of access to education among the Muslim community. Maktabs and madrasas differ significantly from each other. The latter provide more holistic kind of education while the former restricts them to the teaching of basics of religion
Experiments with Reforms Within Madrasa Institutions was a very interactive session. Prof. Roger Jeffrey shared his experience in Bijnore, Uttar Pradesh. He mentioned four points and explained them in detail. Prof. Jeffery discussed that every proposal to reform the madrasas, should have taken into account all the varieties of madrasa. Main driver of sending children to the madrasas is the pathetic condition of the government infrastructure of education in Bijnor and in most of the country. There is also need to understand the nature of the training these madrasas provide, one needs to understand the system. The system there is that they prepare the students for joining the Deoband madrasa. Those who do well in the examinations, are considered eligible to enroll in Deoband madrasa.
Zubair Hudawi is product of Kerala Madras System, which is considered be the most progressive system of education. It is interesting, Said Hudawi, to know that since the arrival of Islam in India, Kerala has never been under any ruler who happened to be a Muslim. However, unlike other parts of the country, especially the North India, the Keralite Muslims have hardly had any experience of religious intolerance or suppression. Denominationally speaking, they are divided into three major groups: Sunnis, (who are Shafiites in their jurisprudential outlook and also follow teachings of Abul Hasan Ash’ari), Mojahid Movement (Ahl-i-Hadis Movement) and Jama’at-i-Islami. What characterizes the Keralite Muslims is the collaboration of the ulama and umara (businessmen and also the secularly educated persons) for the cause of education.
Maulana Syed Salman Nadwi started his lecture with thanking Ark Foundation for initiating such a debate and bring religious and secular scholars on a platform. He said that the seminar is a meaningful intervention to ponder upon the educational problems of the Indian Muslims. He said that Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama was established on the principle of a balanced synthesis of the classical education with the modern. Its chief purpose was (a) to evolve a proper integration between the eternal fundamentals of the faith and ever-changing values of human knowledge and learning and (b) to bring about harmony and cohesion among the different groups and schools of thought of Ahl-i-Sunnat Muslims. As Islamic sciences are living, evolving and progressive and education was subject to the law of change and reform, hence it was essential that the system of education too, should change and evolve with time for needs of Islamic Millat.
Maulana Syed Salman Nadwi described the silent features of the syllabus. The Darul Uloom concentrated particularly on the holy Qur'an and introduced it into syllabus as a living book and an eternal message. At the initial stages a simple study of the Qur'an was prescribed. For moral training and discipline a course of the Traditions of the holy Prophet dealing with his noble virtues and ethical and social conduct was included in the curriculum. For secondary and higher classes the commentary of the Qur'an (Tafsir) and selected books of Traditions and fundamentals were prescribed for study. Full attention was paid to the Arabic language since it held the key to the understanding of the Book and the Sunnah. Without knowledge of it, it was not possible to avail oneself of the vast treasurehouse of Islamic thought and learning. Moreover, it was the sole medium of contact with the entire Muslim world. The Darul Uloom thus, included Arabic in its syllabus both as a classical and a modern language. Many books were specially got written by it for the purpose of promoting the study of Arabic language. The importance and usefulness of the endeavours of the Nadwatul 'Ulama in this respect have been acknowledged not only throughout India but in the Arab world also. Thanks to these efforts, the Darul Uloom has been able to produce a number of Arabic scholars and writers whose proficiency and merit has won whole-hearted praise even from the literary circles of the Arab countries.
Addressing the apprehension of some audience Zafar Agha asked why the Christian missionaries who run quality educational institutions across India do not feel threatened while running institutions of modern education? They do not perceive modern education as a conspiracy to obsolete their identity, culture and religion. They also are religious experts. Why do only ulama buy the conspiracy theory? It is true that the Muslims have been suffering from several crises for last two hundred years and consequently they have developed a complex which encourages them to take all initiatives for change as conspiracy. This issue has assumed a critical importance in the contemporary debate on the Muslim situation in the world. One needs to understand it in totality.
Prof. Akhtarul Wasey started with a note that the group wants to work with ulama as friends on the project of the madrasa reform and our intention is not to interfere with their activities. This seminar should be seen as an expression of the concerns of the secular intelligentsia for the educational development of the Indian Muslim community for the betterment of which madrasas had been working for centuries.
The debate of madrasa reform is not new. Only 30 years after the establishment of the Deoband madrasa, ulama felt the need to reform and assembled in Madrasa Faiz-i-Aam, Kanpur for deliberations. Here they, under the chairmanship of Maulvi Lutfullah, agreed to come up with a new madrasa, Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow, which would offer the reformed curriculum. Not before long, Maulana Shibli Nomani, one of driving forces behind the new madrasa, got disheartened with the Nadwa programme of reforms. It failed to meet his expectations and standards of reform. Around hundred years ago from now, he started expressing his dissatisfaction and concerns in this regard, through his writings and speeches.
We should acknowledge contribution of the madrasas in making Muslims literate. A major section of the present Urdu readers have got their education in madrasas.
Recommendations:
The last session of the Seminar “National Consultation On Madrasa Education System: Towards Drafting A Roadmap For Reform” was devoted to discuss recommendation of the two days seminar. There were several recommendations. Following are the recommendation which have been accepted by all the participants in the seminar.
1. The Communication gap between the madrasas and government universities calls for immediate attention. It should be bridged by initiating a process of dialogue between them.
2. A team consisting of ulama and secular intelligentsia should be constituted to study the issue and come up with some concrete suggestions. The team should visit prominent madrasas of India and present its views before authorities of these insititutions.
3. The madrasa curriculum should be refashioned in a way that theology relating to the contemporary issues should receive more time in the academic schedule of the madrasas.
4. Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow had organised a seminar on Issues in the Madrasa Curriculum. All the papers presented in it are available in a printed volume titled Rudad-i-Chaman. It should be acquired and studied for better understanding.
5. The Central Madrasa Board should be an autonomous institution although affiliation to it should be voluntary.
6. Madrasas should incorporate in their curriculum some courses/modules on domestic violence or women rights to sensitize talaba with concerned issues/themes.
7. Ark Foundation may open a training center where ulama can acquaint them with the modern issues while students of secular education can learn basics of religious sciences.
8. Teachers Training for Madrasa teachers.
9. Youth Engagement Programmes
10. Creation of Minority Education and Employment Fund
11. Establishment of Minority Education and Employment Exchange Centre to provide:
• Educational facilities
• Coaching Centre for preparation of entrance test in various professional courses like medical, engineering, BCA, BBA, MCA, MBA,etc.
• Coaching and guidance for preparation of government jobs like civil cervices, police department, defense, information, statistics, etc.
• Vocational and Technical Training Centre
• Customized Training of students as per the requirement of particular company or industry
• Links with industrialists and corporate bodies for placement of trained students
• Teachers Training for Madrasas and other minority institutions
• Updating the syllabus to match the demand of job market
• Monitoring and Evaluation of ongoing programmes
• Research and Survey
• Social Audit of all the Waqf Boards of India
B. Following suggestions were made with special reference to the madrasas situated in the state of Assam:
There was a group of scholars who had specific suggestion for Madrasas in North East, specially Assam. Here those recommendations.
11. A State Level Council for Educational Research and Training in the pattern of NCERT is necessary for writing, translating and publishing books mentioned in the madrasa syllabus. It should also decide the length of the syllabus at least for the government madrasas Eminent Muslim and non-Muslim Academicians, Senior and experienced prominent Madrasa teachers can be taken as members of the Council.
12. Separate Teachers Training Colleges—at least a couple of them—should be established in the state for madrasa teachers. These colleges should conduct B. Ed or E.T.E. degrees for the teachers of Senior, Title, and if possible Qaumi madrasas. These degrees should be made necessary eligibility for the appointment of madrasa teachers.
13. Arabic or the mother tongue should be made as the medium of instruction in the provincialised and Qaumi madrassas. Special focus should be laid on the learning of modern communicative Arabic. The contents of the syllabus of Arabic language needs urgent reconsideration at least for the provincialised madrasas.
14. A Central Madrassa Board in the pattern of C.B.S.E is required for the proper conduct of examination and smooth functioning of madrassas. Different types of vocational and professional courses should be introduced at the initiative of central and state governments in the provincialised and community-run madrassas to avoid increasing number of unemployment among the madrassa graduates. The Assam government should launch Pre-Tibia courses in selected madrasas so that madrasa students become eligible for direct admission into medical courses like B.U.M.S. and so on.
15. In this era of latest technology modern teaching instruments/electronic equipments which make teaching easier and understandable for students should be granted to madrassas. The Government, NGOs, and the madrasa management committees should organize vocational training for existing teachers on different vocational and life skill education.
16. At least one Counseling and Guidance centre for madrassa students should be opened in each district at the initiative of community and government agencies.
17. Since Qaumi madrassas are run by different Muslim organisations with different interests, a coordination committee should be set up to maintain good relationship between these madrasas.
