The New Nation - Internet Edition

M. Mizanur Rahman

Since independence unlike mushrooms the most costly education of kindergarten schools or the like have been spread throughout the cities and towns for the children of the well to-do people of Bangladesh having no monitoring system or control from the government educational authorities concerned. Whether this English medium schools are of any use nationally leaving aside the huge primary level schools (both government-run and privately managed) of the children of greater masses of the people of Bangladesh who used to read in Bangla medium is yet to be assessed. Even some kindergarten-like Arabic schools for the children in different names are established and running in this country in parallel but in typical formation. In Madrasha and Yatimkhana (orphanage) primary level teaching of Qaeda Ampara of AI-Quran etc., in Arabic version without any meaningful translations of them into national language Bengali given to the children to cram had never been consistent with the general primary education.

There is no moral and physical education for our children from primary level. How could our children build their morality to make the frame of their virtuous character on which a strong nation should stand? By this way how our children would be moulded to the need of the nation as a whole. What sort of mentality would grow among these children towards their future career by inconsistent systems of education nationally for such a small country like Bangladesh? However unless this problem is solved the frustration on the way to children's education would continue to grow which will sap the vitality of this nation.

In a Muslim majority country like Bangladesh Islamic education is the need of the hour. Hence one cannot ignore Madrasha education in which traditionally Islamic way of thinking takes place provided the students of these institutions are given education on Islamic thoughts and ideas properly.

It is said that Islam is the code of conduct in life. But that most valuable ethics of Islamic thoughts and ideas requires to be inculcated among the students of general education and Madrashas alike as well. This will certainly discipline the way of children's life. Except some ritual performances of the Muslims basic humanistic principles of Islam are equally applicable to all non-Muslim communities also. Even there should be no objection in studying by the non-Muslims the humanistic essence of Islamic thoughts and ideas from Al-Quran and Hadith that is always beneficial to all mankind irrespective of any religious differences of faiths. In order to make the entire educational curriculum consistent the syllabi must be adjusted to that extent. Then the students of the non-Muslim communities would be inclined to study in Madrashas. Hence the national co-existence between all other communities would establish and all the non-Muslim communities would tend to feel that absolute communal hannony prevails in Islamic humanism.

It would rather be better if the Madrasha education become common to all irrespective of different faiths. Then misgivings about Islam from the minds of the non-Muslims would be dispelled.

Madrasha education must fit itself with modern science and technology also. So that after passing out from the Madrasha, students might feel secured to catch up job markets suitable to their quality of education competing equally with those general students of other disciplines. As the citizen of Bangladesh people have rights to secure equal place in educating their wards in any educational institution of the state no matter which community or faith they belong.

As because the education is the backbone of a nation the government must look into the matters of education very seriously having thorough monitoring and control system of all educational institutions. So that none of them (those institutions) can digress from national education policy and of its integration.

Now the question arises whether there is at all any national education policy there in Bangladesh that makes the national integration in respect of education acutely? If there is none the government should make that policy at once to keep the nation on the ball of progress.

Now at present we can see the salient features of Madrasha education of Bangladesh in nutshell.

Only three government-run Madrashas are Alia Madrasha of Dhaka. Chittagong and Sylhet functioning in Bangladesh. Beside Bengali, English and Arabic some other subjects are taken up for studies in these institutions. Apart from humanities, science and commerce sections have also been included here. The Madrasha Education Board supervises these Alia Madrashas.

In Bangladesh there are privately run Madrashas also. They are titled as Befaqul Madaresh headed by the Private Madrasha Board. But in these Madrashas there is no section of science or commerce. The Befaqul Madaresh prepares and controls the curriculum and syllabus of its Madrashas.

While government-run Madrasha takes up studies of Bengali, English and Arabic literature as compulsory subjects beside AI-Quran along with its Tafsirs (interpretations), Hadith and Fiqh (lslamic Jurisprudence) in its syllabus. Therein lies heavy pressure of studies for the students of government Madrashas than those of general educational institutions. But the Befaqul Madaresh has its own administration free from the government and it runs from its own financial resources collected privately from the religious minded generous people. Basically this institution stresses much more importance in studying Arabic language and literature seriously than other educational institutions of Bangladesh.

There is another type of Madrasha called Hafizia Furkania Madrasha, for male as well as female, running in Bangladesh where the students will simply cram AI-Quran to become Hafiz (the person who commits to memory of Al-Quran) only.

The profession of these students will remain limited only to lead Taraweeh Namaz during the month of Ramadan (for male) and teaching children Al-Quran (for male and female). However sadly speaking there is no other scope for their employment anywhere.

Very recently government recognised Arabic Dhakhil as S.S.C (Secondary School Certificate), Aleem as H.S.C (Higher Secondary Certificate), Fazil as Graduation Degree and Kamil as Masters Degree.

Now the scope of general studies for these students is absolutely limited. It is reported that these students are not allowed to study Honors in law at the Dhaka University. And a very few but exceptional students get chance for higher studies in the general universities by dint of their sheer brilliant merits, while in job markets their cases are hardly considered. After the completion of their studies they seek job of Imamoti (leader of the Namaz-I-Jamat or Zanaza i.e at the congregation of Muslim dead bodies) in the mosque having no other alternatives. And this is what our Madrasha education along with other sides of education in Bangladesh.

In our education sectors none of the citizens should suffer deprivation otherwise as a nation we will be at a loss everywhere. Our government should look into it very seriously. Because every deprivation that reflects national crisis is never desirable by a prestigious nation.