Madrasa Education in Pakistan: In the Context of Government Policy

Global International Relations Review, 2021

In Pakistan since Independence Madrassa has provided education to millions of students. As an alternative to formal education, religious education is a supplement for society from which a large chunk of society is benefited. Besides religious education Madaris also work as a proper shelter home for the children studying in them as they provide food, clothing shelter. However, these Madaris are accused of fueling conservative ideas by promoting narrow mindsets. Students of madrassas are often misfits in society and intolerant to change which leads to political and social extremism. This study analyzes the major and minor challenges confronted in modernizing Madrasah education; it also discusses the future of Madrassa education in Pakistan. This study aims to explore the need for modification of the curriculum and education system in the madrassa of Pakistan. Also, investigate the main entrenched norms and factors preventing reforms in madrassa education.

2011

roles do madrasas play in Pakistani society? What are the main challenges and opportunities for madrasa reform? Since 11 September 2001, Pakistan’s madrasas have received much attention from the media, policy analysts and politicians. The bulk of the literature has asserted strong links between madrasas and militancy. Madrasas have thus become the focus of a much larger debate on Islam and militancy. This security discourse has placed the most radical madrasas in the spotlight and has left out the moderate, non-militant and non-political madrasas. From a broader policy implication perspective, one can more constructively and fruitfully approach the “madrasa challenge” by looking at the diversity of schools existing in this sector, in terms of size, financing, and theological and ideological positions, as well as at their links to political groups. This report presents the core issues in the debate and identifies some of the challenges and opportunities for reform.1

Iḥyāʾalʿulūm - Journal of Department of Quran o Sunnah

Madrassa system in Pakistan is providing an alternative mean to education. In Pakistan, different education systems are involved in developing different kinds of social and political beliefs. The most influential of which is madrassa system that is directly affecting the process of political socialization. Being an Islamic state, this system was given much importance after the independence of Pakistan. Islamization policy made religious education more significant. At that time, religious extremism was also increasing in the country. After 9/11 and Enlightenment policy, madrassa system became a controversial system in the world and in Pakistan as well. People now perceive madrassa system as a place of spreading terrorism and extremism. Though, not all the madrassa in Pakistan are involved in extremist militant activities. Most of the madrassas are spreading peace and harmony in the society. This research aims at to analyze the perception of people about madrassa on local and global l...

This article analyses political role of madrasas in Pakistan and Afghanistan from a historical perspective to see how they have played key roles in shaping political and strategic agendas of state and non-state actors in South Asia. Consequently, this undertaking adopts the historicist approach in which it will emphasise the importance of madrasa history in order to understand historical changes and demonstrate their potential role as tool to exert political and strategic interests of state and non-state actors in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It argues that although madrasas are generally considered as centres for Islamic religious education, their roles vary amongst countries with different forms of social, cultural, and political structures. This paper concludes that in countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan -under the tense political and strategic pressure of regional and international powerswhere Islam depicts social, cultural, and political identities of Muslims, some madrasas play a key role as potential tool to exert political and strategic interests of state and non-state actors.

2015

Madrassa is an old and customary idea of teaching. This article addresses diverse changes which occurred after the formation of Pakistan. It will likewise manage the historical assessment of madarssas. In the absolute starting there were a little number of Madrassas existed in those areas which constituted Pakistan however over recent decades, particularly after Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, it picked up prominence and became fundamental feeder to the Afghan Jihad against Soviet control. In the first instance an ordinance called the Pakistani Madrassas Education Ordinance was promulgated on August 18, 2001.Its aim was to secure the registration, regulation, standardization and uniformity of curricula and standard of education of Madrassa imparting specialised Islamic education in Pakistan with the general education system. There were different reforms and ordinances introduced time by time for the betterment of madarssas system.

Pakistani madrasa has remained a subject of intense academic debate since the tragic events of 9/11 as they were immediately identified as one of the prime suspects. The aim of this paper is to examine the post 9/11 academic discourse on the subject of Madrasa Reform in Pakistan and identify the various themes presented in them. This paper also seeks to explore the missing perspective in this discourse; the perspective of ulama; the madrasa managers, about the Western demand to reform madrasa. To explore various perspectives, this study relies on a systematic analysis of the post 9/11 discourse on this subject. To find out the views of ulama, in depth interviews of leading Pakistani ulama belonging to all major schools of thought have been conducted. The study finds that many fears generated by early post 9/11 studies have been rejected by the later ones. This study also finds that contrary to the common perception the leading ulama in Pakistan are open to the idea of madrasa reform...

Jurnal Islam dan Masyarakat Kontemporari, 2018

This article analyses political role of madrasas in Pakistan and Afghanistan from a historical perspective to see how they have played key roles in shaping political and strategic agendas of state and non-state actors in South Asia. Consequently, this undertaking adopts the historicist approach in which it will emphasise the importance of madrasa history in order to understand historical changes and demonstrate their potential role as tool to exert political and strategic interests of state and non-state actors in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It argues that although madrasas are generally considered as centres for Islamic religious education, their roles vary amongst countries with different forms of social, cultural, and political structures. This paper concludes that in countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan - under the tense political and strategic pressure of regional and international powers - where Islam depicts social, cultural, and political identities of Muslims, some madr...

Journal of Educational Research (JER), 2019

Over the years, there have been several discussions on the mainstreaming of Madrassas in Pakistan with their main focus to provide career opportunities to their students by reforming curriculum, removing hate speeches and adding some additional subjects such as Mathematics, IT and English. The issue of Madrassa reforms particularly came to lime light in the backdrop of post-9/11 developments especially the global war on terror. The terrorist attack on Army Public School in Peshawar in December 2014 provided further impetus for a 20-Points National Action Plan (NAP) for countering terrorism and extremism of which one the important points was that Madrassas would be regularized and reformed. The present study is aimed to highlight the importance of Madrassa reforms by discussing the challenges and sensitivities involved in this process. It also discusses the perceptions and ground realities about the role of the Madrassas in the society by highlighting its various dimensions. The discussion begins with an analytical overview of the history and background of these institutions. It also analysis the prevailing administrative structures controlling the working of various Madrassas. The analysis concludes on presenting various options and strategies for introducing reforms in the Madrassa system in Pakistan by offering some policy recommendations.

2011

Why have the madrasas become a subject of such controversy? What roles do madrasas play in Pakistani society? What are the main challenges and opportunities for madrasa reform? Since 11 September 2001, Pakistan's madrasas have received much attention from the media, policy analysts and politicians. The bulk of the literature has asserted strong links between madrasas and militancy. Madrasas have thus become the focus of a much larger debate on Islam and militancy. This security discourse has placed the most radical madrasas in the spotlight and has left out the moderate, non-militant and non-political madrasas. From a broader policy implication perspective, one can more constructively and fruitfully approach the "madrasa challenge" by looking at the diversity of schools existing in this sector, in terms of size, financing, and theological and ideological positions, as well as at their links to political groups. This report presents the core issues in the debate and identifies some of the challenges and opportunities for reform. 1

2009

PJSEL VOL- 3 (1) ISSN 2521-8123 2523-1227 (Online), 2017

This paper investigates Media portrayal of Madrasa education in Pakistan. Madras'a education faces tremendous challenges in today's world due to ongoing radicalism and terrorism. This paper explicates that after 9/11 incident Pakistan has been crossing th ro u g h various social, economic, religious and political crises, which create a situation of quagmire for Pakistani citizens. In modern arena, Madaras are labeled only to produced Taliban, terror and radicalism. This paper is qualitative in nature, where the researcher has used library method for data collection. The data has been collected from various secondary and scholarly sources including books, articles, journals, websites. The data has been qualitatively presented with the help of thematic analysis, which concludes that after 9/11 incident Pakistan has been passing through a constant state of curse and evils, which is bringing catastrophe to its socioeconomic , cultural, religious, political and develo p men t a l well-being.

Contemporary Issues in Education Research (CIER), 2010

The unfortunate attacks of 9/11 forced the government to reform madrassah education programs. The aim of this article is to discuss the reform and its results and points of view, as well as the reaction of the Islamic seminaries toward these madrassah reforms.

2007

Islam has given especial emphases on religious and rational education, it is obligatory to every Muslim to get education. The place where education is given to Muslims has given very especial status and respect. The Islamic education center called Madrassah; its history is as old as the Islam. Madrassah provides free education, boarding and lodging to the poor students. South Asian Madrassah traditions go back to the Muslim Rule in India, there were two famous traditions of Islamic education system in India Frangi Mahall tradition and Deobandi tradition respectively. After partition of India, Pakistan inherited both the traditions but the Deoband Tradition is stronger in theory and practice in present day Pakistan. After 9/11attaccks on United Sates of America, the world has become interested to know about Madrassahs in Pakistan and its connections with militancy. Suddenly, the media and governments have also given attention to understand the Madrassah. Several studies have been conducted by journalists, NGO's and academia on Madrassah curriculum, policy, ideology, student-teacher relationship and connection to militancy. The main purpose of this article is to discuss the Islamic concept of education and the role of Madrassah in Islamic and rational education and to analyze the Madrassah connections with jihad and militancy. It also discusses the short history of Madrassah in India and Pakistan. In the light of the following questions what is an Islamic concept of education and the role of Madrassah? And, to analize If there is any connection of Madrassah and militancy?