Army chief says country needs to ‘revisit’ madrassa education

quetta — Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday criticised madrassas that have mushroomed nationwide for mostly teaching only Islamic theology, saying the country needs to “revisit” the religious school concept.

Modernising madrassa education is a thorny issue in Pakistan where religious schools are often blamed for radicalisation of youngsters but are the only education available to millions of poor children.

Bajwa said a madrassa education in Pakistan was inadequate because it did not prepare students for the modern world.

“I am not against madrassas, but we have lost the essence of madrassas,” Bajwa told a youth conference in Quetta, the capital of the southwestern province of Balochistan.

Bajwa said he was recently told that 2.5 million students were being taught in madrassas belonging to the Deobandi sect.

“So what will they become: will they become Maulvis (clerics) or they > Pakistan has over 20,000 registered madrassas, though there are believed to be thousands more unregistered ones. > Most of the madrassas impart education in Islamic theology. > Religious schools are often blamed for radicalisation. will become terrorists?” Bajwa asked, saying it was impossible to build enough mosques to employ the huge number of madrassa students.

“We need to look (at) and revisit the concept of madrassas...We need to give them a worldly education.”

Pakistan has over 20,000 registered madrassas, though there are believed to be thousands more unregistered ones. Some are singleroom schools with a handful of students studying the Holy Quran.

Security services have kept a close eye on madrassas associated >Army chief says we have lost the essence of madrassas. > Bajwa says madrassa education does not prepare students for the modern world. > Some madrassas have been shut down on for spreading extremism. with radicalising youths and feeding recruits to militant outfits that have killed tens of thousands of people in the country since 2000.

But only a handful of the schools have been shut down, the authorities’ hand stayed by fears of a religious backlash.

Bajwa said poor education was holding back the nation of 207 million people, and especially in madrassas. “Most of them are just teaching theology. So what are their chances? What is their future in this country?” — Reuters

Often blamed for spreading extremism

So what will they become: will they become maulvis (clerics) or they will become terrorists? It is impossible to build enough mosques to employ madrassa students. What are their chances? What is their future in this country?