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Rs 30m to be spent on reform of Madaris

ISLAMABAD: The government will spend Rs 30 million to bring about changes in the curricula of religious schools and to introduce subjects like English, Economics and Computer Sciences, official sources told Fortuna on Saturday.

Changes in the curricula aims at educating and training students of Deeni Madaris on such lines that could prepare them for the job market so that they can be absorbed in the mainstream of the society.

The government will back up its efforts with the issuance of an ordinance to bring about structural changes in the traditional education system and functioning of as many as 7,000 madaris of the country, sources said.

The Ministry of Education is currently giving final touches to the draft bill.

The bill also envisages establishment of Deeni Madaris Board (DMB) for establishing uniform standard of religious education in Deeni Madaris like standardisation of registration, uniformity of curricula, equivalence of certificates or degrees, conduct of examination and eradication of sectarianism.

Education Ministry Official said under this new plan the government will establishment Model Dural Uloom (MDUs) throughout the country besides improving curricula.

Sources said the proposed changes aimed at integration of the existing two parallel streams of education. They said the scheme will also facilitate teaching of school subjects at 100 Madaris besides training teachers of 1500 Madaris. These Madaris will also receive funds for purchase of Islamic textbooks.

Likewise, government will continue to extend all the incentives provided in the past to these top Madaris. The government also plans to provide opportunities of pursuing higher studies to the student of the Madaris.

Ministry of Education officials said, they were currently in the process of collecting and compiling particulars of Madaris. The ministry sent a questionnaire to the Madaris recently to start building this data on the basis of information provided by the Madaris themselves. Fortuna