NEW DELHI: With a view to strengthen and modernise madrassas across the country, the minority affairs ministry has decided to commission a study to find out the status and requirements for quality education in recognised and unrecognised madrassas.
The ministry said this would be a step towards understanding ways to link students in madrassas with formal education to enable them to pursue higher education and varied career options. It has floated an expression of interest (EOI) document, inviting bids for the study.
Minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told TOI the ministry was focussing on a larger discussion and roadmap in consultation with stakeholders to see how madrassa education could be linked to formal education. The report based on the study will be used to overcome shortcomings and also learn from existing madrassa education models.
Recently, the government had decided to transfer the scheme for providing education in madrassas from the education ministry to the minority affairs ministry. “This department came to us about two months ago and so we want to study all aspectsto ensure effective work,” Naqvi said.
The ministry will use the study to deliver on the roadmap laid out under the National Education Policy 2020 which recognises that minorities are under-represented in school and higher education. The NEP acknowledges the importance of interventionsto promote education of children belonging to all minority communities, and particularly those communities that areeducationally under-represented.
The NEP also talks of making provisions for financial assistance to introduce science, mathematics, social studies, Hindi, English, state languages, or other relevant subjects in the curriculum of these schools.
—PTI

Press Trust of India