WUNRN
India
- Uttar Pradesh
(UP) is a state located in the northern part
of India. With a
population of over 190 million people,[5]
it is India's most populous
state. The administrative and legislative capital of Uttar Pradesh is Lucknow. UP
is home to many historical cities like Agra and Varanasi.
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"The
ban on co-education for girls in madrassas will virtually bring to a halt the
education of 25,000 girls in Uttar Pradesh."
INDIA
- UTTAR PRADESH MADRASSAS BAN CO-EDUCATION
Kavita
Chowdhury |
New
Delhi, February 5, 2009 |
The
order of the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrassa Education (UPBME), banning
co-education in madrassas in the state, has evoked no response from the
ministry of human resource and development (HRD).
Union Minister of state for HRD M.A.A. Fatmi, who looks after minority
education, said on Wednesday, "We cannot keep track of what is happening
in every state. It is for the UP government to answer."
"In the future, if the government sets up madrassas, it will see to it
that there are separate madrassas for girls. What can we do about these girls
till then," he added.
UPBME chairman Haji Rizwanul Haq's ban on co- education for girls in madrassas
from class XI will virtually bring to a halt the education of 25,000 girls in
UP. The board comes under the UP state minority welfare board and there are
1,900 madrassas under it. But, of these, only 170 madrassas are for girls, a
number highly inadequate to accommodate all the girls.
Also, the government's data on the Muslim community's enrolment in schools,
compiled by the National University of Educational Planning and Administration,
confirms that Muslims are the most educationally backward community in the
country.
The HRD Ministry has an entire department devoted to minority education and is
working on an elaborate programme for madrassa modernisation. The ministry has
been allocated Rs 625 crore in the 11th Five- Year Plan for this purpose and
professes to be aiming to "monitor and raise awareness about education
programmes for the Muslim community". While the HRD ministry talks of
"modernisation of madrassas" and its schemes of introducing maths and
science and increasing the honorarium of teachers there, it is reluctant to
focus on core issues - the denial of education to girls in co-ed madrassas.
A ministry insider says, "We fund the state madrassa boards but nothing
beyond that. If we bring about a central madrassa board in the future, then
maybe we will look into such issues." Shantha Sinha, chairperson of the
national commission for protection of child rights, described the step taken by
the UP government as "unfortunate". "Girls certainly cannot be
denied access to education. Before they take such a policy decision, they have
to see girls' education is not disrupted by such moves. They have to work out a
way. If need be, we can take it up with the state government to ensure the
education of these girls is not disrupted," said Sinha.
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