| Islam and Politics | |
| 28 Jul 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com | |
| The Other Side of Bengal's Madrasa Experiment | |
By Nikhil Raymond Puri
July 27, 2011
Stories celebrating Bengal's Madrasa modernisation efforts focus on high Madrasas without acknowledging the State's incapacity to influence Khariji Madrasas, writes Nikhil Raymond Puri
West Bengal has received considerable media attention in the past few years for its efforts in modernising Madrasas. Some commentators highlight the fact that several Madrasas in the State have more Hindu than Muslim students. Other observers point to an ongoing experiment to gradually transform West Bengal’s madrasas into English-medium institutions. According to the president of the West Bengal Board of Madrasa Education, the body entrusted with all things Madrasa-related in Bengal, “States such as Tripura, Bihar and Odisha have chosen to adopt the West Bengal model,” and teams from “Bangladesh and Pakistan have also shown interest.” Even critics attest to the progressive nature of the State’s Madrasas, arguing that these institutions are ‘madrasas’ only in name. But these celebratory accounts tell just one side of the story. The West Bengal model appears effective because its severe shortcomings are never articulated.
|
12:45 AM
Moderate Islamist here
0 comments:
Post a Comment