By Nava J Thakuria
Assam government has taken a bold step in converting at least 1281 Madrasas (Islamic educational institute) across 31 districts to general schools, where the students will now study all traditional subjects recognised at the national level.
From now onwards those Madrasas will be known as Middle English (ME) schools, which will follow the academic curriculum prescribed by the concerned government agencies. However, even after changing the names the institutes will comprise the same batches of teachers and students.
The State Directorate of Elementary Education with an order stated that those regulated educational institutes hereafter will not pursue religious (Arabic) subjects, rather the students will be exposed to English, general science, social studies, mathematics, computer applications, etc.
Most of these institutes are located in the districts of South Shalmara-Mankachar, Nagaon, Marigaon, Dhubri, Barpeta, Karimganj, Cachar, Hojai, Hailakandi, Goalpara and Nalbari. Similarly Bajali, Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Darrang, Golaghat, Hailakandi, Jorhat, Kamrup, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur districts also support some government-run Madrasas.
It may be mentioned that the State government passed legislation in the assembly during January 2021 with an aim to convert all government-aided Madrasas to general schools.
State chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma argued that the Muslim students need to study general subjects so that they can also develop themselves as doctors, engineers and other professionals (as done by others in Bharat). Sarma opined that the public money should not be used for religious studies. With the same logic, the government converted all Sanskrit Toals to general academic institutes.
The State higher education authorities had already converted the concerned Madrasas to high & higher secondary schools. The Bhartiya Janata Party-led government in Dispur initiated to close down all government supported Madrasas and subsequently transformed those to general schools by enacting laws to erase two Madrasa related acts (passed in 1995 and 2018).
But Assam will continue to support private Madrasas, which were earlier affiliated to the State Madrasa Education Board. Those institutes, normally run with the help of public donations, impart only Islamic teaching. The small Madrasas have been merged with the nearby large Madrasas so that educational reforms can be achieved. The privately run Madrasas are also compelled to follow revised courses along with skill development.
