Assam government has decided to stop the functioning of all government-run Madrasas and convert them into general educational institutions.
There are 198 high Madrasas in Assam, managed by the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA), and 542 other Madrasas, run by the State Madrasa Board.
Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday that all Madrasas institutions would be renamed by dropping the term Madrasas in order to prevent any misunderstanding in higher education courses about the status of the college.
Madrasa’s education was incorporated in the Assam Education Curriculum in 1934, and the State Madrasa Board was also constituted at that time.
“In 1934, when Assam was run by a Muslim League government under the Prime Minister Sir Syed Sadullah, at that of time, Madrasa education was introduced in Assam education curriculum and the State Madrasa Board was also created. Even in normal academic courses upto in Matric level, a chapter was basically allotted for education on Quran,” said Himanta Biswa Sarma.
“Yesterday, the Assam cabinet has decided to reform the educational system to make it secular and as a result, now all these High Madrasas and Madrasas will stop functioning and we will convert every such institution to general educational institute — like any other institute,” said Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Himanta Biswa Sarma also said that 198 High Madrasas, 542 Title Madrasas, Pre-Senior Madrasas and Senior Madrasas would not be permitted to admit any student to theological studies. The schools would then work only for general education, he added.
In this regard, the Assam Government will put out a new bill in the next winter session of the Assam Legislative Assembly, which will begin on 28 December.
According to the Assam Administration, the State Madrasa Board will be disbanded from the date of the declaration of results of the academic year 2021-22.
No student will be enrolled in any of the current courses at the Madrasas Educational Institutions, as prescribed by the Madrasa State Board, with effect from 1 April 2021. Students will be accepted from 1 April 2021 against the related courses of SCERT, SEBA and AHSEC as applicable to their college.
Both pre-Senior Madrasa schools will be regarded as primary and upper primary schools and will follow the academic curricula recommended by SCERT, Assam.
Subjects-namely Holy Quran and Islamic studies-will be excluded from these schools and all other subjects present in primary and upper primary schools, including Arabic, will be included.
All Arabic colleges will be regarded as a composite higher secondary school of the upper primary school with a changed name and t treated as composite higher secondary schools from upper primary school with a modified name and they will follow the course curriculum prescribed by SCERT, HSLC course curriculum of SEBA and course curriculum of AHSEC.
“We have 98 Sanskrit Tolls. We are going to run a degree and diploma course basically on Indian civilization. It will be different from history because education and curriculum will be prepared from the point of view of civilization,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Himanta Biswa Sarma said that probably, Assam is the first state in the country where a student can actually study Indian civilization value, cultures, not from the point of view of history.
All senior and Title Madrasas will be treated as High schools with a modified name by omitting the word Madrassa.
All the student presently studying in the last two years of intermediate course, FM course and of MM course will continue their study till March 31, 20222 in order to complete their final examination.
Hemanta Biswa Sharma also said that for the Madrasa education, the budget will come into secondary education.
“Services of the teachers and employees who are working in the Madrasas will be continued and they will be paid from the budget head of secondary education along with other schools. We have protected the job of the teachers and employees, but they will not impart lessons on theological subjects,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Besides, the state government has also decided to shut down all government-run Sanskrit Tolls in the state.
There are 98 provincialized Sanskrit Tolls in the state which will be converted as study centres, research centres and institutions to study the certificate, diploma, degree courses to be started by Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University with effect from April 1, 2021.
“We have 98 Sanskrit Tolls. We are going to run a degree and diploma course basically on Indian civilization. It will be different from history because education and curriculum will be prepared from the point of view of civilization,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Himanta Biswa Sarma said that probably, Assam is the first state in the country where a student can actually study Indian civilization value, cultures, not from the point of view of history.
