Darul Uloom Deoband, the biggest Islamic seminary in India, has turned down the government’s proposal to modernise education in madarsas.
Citing that any change in the present ‘nizam of education’ will have a deleterious impact on the institution, the Islamic clerics of Darul Uloom Deoband said it renders the purpose of madarsas meaningless.
“Some ignorant people are advocating the idea of fundamental changes in the curriculum of madarsas and gradually shifting to modern education. There is no need to be influenced by such people and we have to maintain the old `nizam of education’. We unanimously reject the idea of modernisation of the madarsa curriculum,” said Maulana Mufti Abul Kasim Nomani, mohtamim (vice chancellor) of Darul Uloom of Deoband.
He further added, “The present curriculum of education in madarsa is the real objective of the madarsas and if we move away from the present curriculum then the Islamic schools will go astray and lose sense of purpose.”
The refusal to embrace modern education comes in the wake of PM Modi and the Centre’s efforts to revamp the education system of madarsas and bring them on par with other institutes. PM Modi has staunchly advocated for the modernisation of Islamic schools, saying that Muslim children should hold Quran in one hand and a laptop/computer in the other.
Earlier yesterday, i.e on October 30, Darul Uloom had organised a conference of Muslim clerics and caretakers of 4,500 madarsas at Deoband, Saharanpur. The conference was held at Masjid Rashidiya in Deoband. The conference was convened by Kul Hind Rabta Madrasa-e-Islamic (All India coordination committee of madarsas), an organisation controlling a network of 4,500 madarsas across the country.
The Islamic clerics of Darul Uloom opposed the government’s move for changes in the syllabus of madarsas imparting Islamic religious education and denounced their attempt to impart modern secular education in madarsas.
“Retaining the present education system and syllabus is a must. The madarsas will lose the true sense of purpose if the present education curriculum of madarsas is modernised,” said Maulana Mufti Abul Kasim Nomani.
Nomani further said, “If any organisation stops to work as per its stated goals and objectives, then it is reduced to a mere structure. That is why we should keep working ceaselessly to fulfil our goals.”
The Islamic clerics, however, called for teaching school subjects in madarsas along with an Islamic curriculum for children up to Class 5. Maulana Nomani directed madarsa managers to arrange primary education for the children along with Islamic religious education. He asked them to include subjects like Maths, Science, English, History, and local languages in the curriculum up to Class 5.
He also asked madarsas to seek approval from the government for teaching the said subjects at the primary level.
The conference of madarsas at Darul Uloom Deoband was organised to discuss the situation in the wake of a survey of private unrecognised madarsas across the state. Darul Uloom Deoband has also been found to be an unrecognised madarsa. It was the third such meeting of Muslim clerics since the commencement of the survey of madarsas began in early September. Officially, the Islamic seminary said the agenda of the conference was to discuss the issues facing Islamic schools and to discuss the measures for improving the education standards and the infrastructure.
