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Kolkata:
A central team
comprising experts from the National Council of Educational Research
and Training (NCERT) on Tuesday heaped praise on the 575-odd
madrasas in the state for their focus in science and technology,
saying they could be an “eye-opener” for the rest of the country
where popular perception about the Islamic seminaries is
stereotypical.
The NCERT team
is in the city for a three-day orientation programme in science and
mathematics in the light of the National Curriculum Framework -2005.
“There is no difference between madrasas in the state and the
schools here. This is an eye-opener for us. We will like to convey
this to other parts of the country,” said Prof Hukum Singh, the head
of mathematics and science department at the NCERT.
According to
Singh, madrasas in the other parts of the country are considered to
be backward and shying away from science and technical education.
The members expressed satisfaction that the department of madrasa
education in the state was focusing on mathematics and science
education. “This is the first time we are organising an orientation
programme with madrasas of any state in the country,” Singh said.
He also
pointed out that the NCERT will be organising the Jawaharlal Nehru
Science Exhibition for Children in West Bengal after a gap of 27
years.
In Bengal,
there are around 575 madrasas with over four lakh students. Of
these, about 102 are senior madrasas where emphasis is given on
religious education. In the remaining, the curriculum is much like
those followed in state schools, where Islamic studies and Arabic
are taught along with other subjects. About 150 madrasas are Higher
Secondary ones and are affiliated to the West Bengal Council of
Higher Secondary Education.
According to
figures available with the government, around 15 per cent Hindus,
mostly from SC, ST and OBC categories, and about 65 per cent female
students are enrolled in the madrasas, some of which have more
Hindus than Muslims as students.
Minister for
Minority Affairs and Madrasa EducationAbdus Sattar said the state
budget for the madrasas would be increased to Rs 500 crore from the
existing Rs 400 crore. He said there is a provision of providing Rs
100 to each female student from Class VIII onwards to reduce dropout
rate.
(Courtesy: Indian Express Group)
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