KARACHI: Debate on madressah education

By Meera Jamal

KARACHI, Feb 19: Many parents send their children to madressahs for hifz, or memorizing the Holy Quran, as they believe that the parents of those that memorize the Quran will find a place in heaven, while others believe that a hafiz may take seven people to paradise with him/her. Interestingly enough, Karachi has almost 100 madressahs for girls of various schools of thought.

However, though religious knowledge should not be left out from a child’s life, people like Riaz have opted not to send their children to a madressah despite family pressure.

“I told my family that for my own and my children’s success in the other world, I cannot make them suffer in this world. I have a maulana sahib who comes to my place and teaches my children at home as the atmosphere of madressahs, molestation and physical abuse are major concerns for me,” he says.

Kiran, an employee at a bank, reveals how difficult life has been for her. “For years I was sent to a madressah for my parents’ sake. However, after I started my normal education I lagged way behind the others. I had to put in double or triple the effort of an ordinary child,” she complains.

But there are also a few people like Erum who believe that religious education is meant for boys only and therefore she sends only her son and not her daughter to madressah. “Hifz is like a professional degree and I believe girls are not strong enough to study this. Furthermore, what will be the use of it? She will get married one day and will give birth to children as that’s her primary job.”

The best of both worlds?

However many madressahs, after realising the importance of worldly education, have started giving their students the basic knowledge of maths, science and computers. Still, there are certain concerns in this regard about balancing both worlds. To counter this, madressahs condense the academic curriculum, though without consulting any educational experts.

“The decision for shortening the syllabus lies with the administration only and our administrator,” says Syeda Fatima Sabeeh, Coordinator of the Islamic Mission. She describes how the students are divided into four groups in their school. “We have two primary sections: group ‘A’ has Nazra along with nine subjects (science, social studies, Sindhi, Tarjumatul Quran, computers, Islamiat, Urdu, English and mathematics), along with hifz. While in group ‘B’ there is hifz as well as five subjects – English, Urdu, maths, computers, and general knowledge (a hotchpotch of science and social studies). Then there is a section meant for hifz only, where students are taught the basics of computers and English. One section is meant for academics only,” she explains.

When asked what career options girls have after doing the hifz course, she replies “they can opt for the Aalima course. And if they opt for normal education after that, all the careers are open for them.”

There are also madressahs which open in the evenings for school-going children. These evening madressahs are countless and are not registered; in fact, almost all the mosques used to have a set-up for young children who were tutored by the Imam of the mosque. However, only a few pupils actually understand the meaning of what they are made to learn.

Jamia Rehmania, located in a mosque in Malir, is a madressah that has separate sections for girls and boys. Wearing white uniforms and scarves, the girls here are not more than 12 years old.

The owner of the madressah, Hafiz Ayaz Rehmani, explains how the institution is being run. “We have three madressahs in Karachi. The others also focus on academics. Over here we have four teachers that look after 100 girls. Teachers are selected on the basis of experience and their knowledge of the Quran by the administration,” he says. When asked if the stereotype manner of teaching – thrashing and humiliating the girls by the teachers – is being followed, he denies that such practices are in use.

Misunderstood concepts

Even among academics there’s a debate on the issue. Professor Hasnain Kazmi, an educationist, believes that the word ‘hifz’ has been misunderstood in the region. “Hifz, in olden times, meant understanding. Not memorising. I do respect parents who send their children for hifz. However, there is a need to modify the clichéd concepts,” he says.

He also finds it quite odd that children are sent to madressahs at an age when they can hardly comprehend the significance and meaning of what is being taught. He further clarifies that in religion, there is no restraint on studying modern sciences.

“The basic idea of hifz was to make the child understand religion to the extent that he can lead his life according to the teachings of Islam,” he says. He argues that religious knowledge and scientific knowledge should go hand in hand. However, Prof Kazmi says madressahs “should consult some educational experts when it comes to what they teach children.”

Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy, Chairman, Department of Physics at Quaid-i-Azam University, is also quite critical of the set-up of these madressahs.

“Madressah students have severe skill handicaps as compared to those who go to good schools. They know very little science, mathematics, English, geography, history, and other subjects needed in a modern society. Only a few go to universities, and then usually for degrees in Islamic studies only. Consequently, they become a burden on society,” he says. While on the career choices these children have available, he points that madressahs in the subcontinent have traditionally turned out the occasional Islamic scholar who makes a contribution to religious subjects.

He further argues that every young child would prefer to play, sing, dance, and live the life of a happy, normal child rather than being punished and beaten. “Of course it is unfair to send him or her to a place that aims primarily at defeating the child’s natural curiosity, creativity, and critical faculties. But of course, parents do send their children there. For poor people it is a necessity: free room, board and supplies. But others want their children to be disciplined and given a thorough Islamic education,” says the scholar.