Articles on Education of Bangladesh
Madrasah Education: An Observation - 21 PDF Print E-mail

Tags: Bangladesh education | education | Madrasha | madrasha education | Primary education

MUZIB MEHDY

The Civil Society on Madrasah Education
Civil society members and individuals related to the Madrasah system were interviewed through two questionnaires (See Annexure). Through the cooperation of the field level workers, we were able to obtain the requisite number of completed questionnaires on time. Several completed questionnaires from respondents related to Madrasahs have been used in the preceding chapters. This chapter makes an overall assessment of the completed questionnaires, which clearly demonstrates the viewpoints of the various groups.

Citizen representatives, or civil society members of the major areas of the nation shared their perspectives and opinions regarding Madrasah education. The confusion and the gaps in the existing Madrasah education system is revealed unambiguously present in their opinions regarding religious education and Madrasah education. The respondents included teachers, Madrasah teachers, writers, intellectuals, development researchers, lawyers, and politicians. The topics covered in the questionnaires were:

1. Madrasah education versus the reality of the 21st century
2. The necessity of Madrasah education in ethical development
3. The influence of Madrasah education on the women’s emancipation movement
4. Similar education for all versus Madrasah education
5. The role of Madrasah education on the progressive movement
6. The mutuality of Madrasah education and communal politics

Madrasah Education versus the Reality of the 21st Century
Despite the wide dispersion in the variety of different aspects of modern life, respondents had similar views on this issue. The traditionalist Madrasah education system, which is against change, is unsuited to meet the needs of the new age – whether those be the needs of the individual, the society or the state.

The world is changing fast. On one side science and technology is transforming the lives of human beings overnight, on the other side a group of human beings is reciting, memorizing the Quran without understanding the words or the language. Conscientious members of society feel that these two images are significant. Their discussion ranged on the aims of Madrasah education, its target population and its role in satisfying the needs of the individual, the society or the state.

It was agreed that the majority of Madrasah students came from the poorer classes. The participation of the middle classes are negligible. The primary reason behind this is the customary belief of gaining virtue and grace. The religious elite classes of society play a major role in promoting the religious ideology that is active in sustaining this customary belief. This class is always prepared to draw a clear divisive line within society. This line facilitates control of the Madrasah educated. Naturally they become a people separate in thought and behaviour from the mainstream. The majority also exhibits a tendency to return to mainstream education as a result of this division. The civil society believes that this is a clear indicator of the failure of applicability of Madrasah education. Implying that this education is not meaningful in the reality of today’s world. They also challenge the effectiveness of this education by citing the marginal contributions of Madrasah educated individuals to the fields of art, literature, sports, culture, science etc. even those who are firm supporters of the Madrasah education system believe that this education is outdated and needs to be reformed.

Ethical Development and Madrasah Education
Ethics and values develop based on cultural ideology. Our social institutions are the patrons of our cultural ideology; which is why differences in culture, differences in environment and other conditions give rise to differences in the system of values. Different and contradictory outlooks on values and ethics may be seen in individuals who have grown wthin the same socio cultural ideology.

Civil society is against the belief that particular religious rites and rituals are necessary to develop the sense of values and ethics. They believe that values are can be developed in a family and an environment where the practice of logical and high thinking is possible. Just as religion can be the basis of ethics and values, so can secularism; just as class, caste, gender, environment can provide elements of a system of values, so can human virtues such as honesty, magnanimity, nobility, patriotism. Yet discrimination exists in our society and the opportunities to express virtues limited. Hence the level and quality of the values of this society is not that high. Due to inherent weaknesses, Madrasah education is in a worse situation in this aspect. The opportunist class has one interest in sustaining the discrimination that exists in the education system of Bangladesh and that is to maintain their position of power. The ideology that is channeled into the brains of the relevant people derive from the sacred concepts of religion. Hence all religious institutions combine to silence any criticism any examination of this “sacred” system of education. It is this combined institutional forces that are active in continuing the Madrasah system, which gives birth to an intolerant ideology and fanatical values. These intolerant people easily label people Murtad. Yet the contention that it is possible to develop rational, ethical and moral human beings without Madrasah education is supported by the general education system of our country. Which is why despite the fact that this is a muslim majority country, the nation is a People’s Republic, not an Islamic state. Despite the non-existence of Madrasah education, there are people of high values and morals in many countries.

The Influence of Madrasah Education on the Women’s Movement
The civil society believes that Madrasah education plays a negative role on the women’s movement. Madrasah education does not give equal status to males and females. It also encourages misogyny. Madrasah education is against female-leadership, and teaches that women are subordinate to men in behaviour, attitude, in the workplace. The majority of those educated in Madrasahs think of women as nothing else but reproductive objects. Speakers at religious mehfils or meetings have a common tendency of making verbal attacks on women. Instead of religious or theological discussion, speakers at these programs mostly talk against the natural proclivities of human beings. Individuals who grow up in the closed community under the Madrasah system have very little opportunity to become freethinking human beings. The concept of the intense sinful nature of human sexuality that they are exposed to from early childhood motivates their aggressive and violent stance against the women’s movement.

The civil society states that if the curriculum and environment is not woman-friendly, then an educational system cannot be supportive of the women’s movement. The antifeminism of Madrasah educated individuals is notably obvious as both the curriculum and the environment of that type of educational institution are hostile towards women. Civil society members also pointed out that although even general education cannot be said to fully support the equality of men and women, but due to the open nature of the existing environment in these institutions, students are not taught to become fervent misogynists. Hence although Madrasah educated individuals are usually not seen to take part in the women’s empowerment movement, individuals educated in the general mainstream system do provide direct and indirect support. Madrasah education gives birth to reactionary behavior, which is antithetical to women’s liberation, democracy, human rights and above all, the national ideology.

The Civil Society on Madrasah Education

Civil society members and individuals related to the Madrasah system were interviewed through two questionnaires (See Annexure). Through the cooperation of the field level workers, we were able to obtain the requisite number of completed questionnaires on time. Several completed questionnaires from respondents related to Madrasahs have been used in the preceding chapters. This chapter makes an overall assessment of the completed questionnaires, which clearly demonstrates the viewpoints of the various groups.

 

Citizen representatives, or civil society members of the major areas of the nation shared their perspectives and opinions regarding Madrasah education. The confusion and the gaps in the existing Madrasah education system is revealed unambiguously present in their opinions regarding religious education and Madrasah education. The respondents included teachers, Madrasah teachers, writers, intellectuals, development researchers, lawyers, and politicians. The topics covered in the questionnaires were:

 

  1. Madrasah education versus the reality of the 21st century

  2. The necessity of Madrasah education in ethical development

  3. The influence of Madrasah education on the women’s emancipation movement

  4. Similar education for all versus Madrasah education

  5. The role of Madrasah education on the progressive movement

  6. The mutuality of Madrasah education and communal politics

Madrasah Education versus the Reality of the 21st Century

Despite the wide dispersion in the variety of different aspects of modern life, respondents had similar views on this issue. The traditionalist Madrasah education system, which is against change, is unsuited to meet the needs of the new age – whether those be the needs of the individual, the society or the state.

 

The world is changing fast. On one side science and technology is transforming the lives of human beings overnight, on the other side a group of human beings is reciting, memorizing the Quran without understanding the words or the language. Conscientious members of society feel that these two images are significant. Their discussion ranged on the aims of Madrasah education, its target population and its role in satisfying the needs of the individual, the society or the state.

 

It was agreed that the majority of Madrasah students came from the poorer classes. The participation of the middle classes are negligible. The primary reason behind this is the customary belief of gaining virtue and grace. The religious elite classes of society play a major role in promoting the religious ideology that is active in sustaining this customary belief. This class is always prepared to draw a clear divisive line within society. This line facilitates control of the Madrasah educated. Naturally they become a people separate in thought and behaviour from the mainstream. The majority also exhibits a tendency to return to mainstream education as a result of this division. The civil society believes that this is a clear indicator of the failure of applicability of Madrasah education. Implying that this education is not meaningful in the reality of today’s world. They also challenge the effectiveness of this education by citing the marginal contributions of Madrasah educated individuals to the fields of art, literature, sports, culture, science etc. even those who are firm supporters of the Madrasah education system believe that this education is outdated and needs to be reformed.

Ethical Development and Madrasah Education

Ethics and values develop based on cultural ideology. Our social institutions are the patrons of our cultural ideology; which is why differences in culture, differences in environment and other conditions give rise to differences in the system of values. Different and contradictory outlooks on values and ethics may be seen in individuals who have grown wthin the same socio cultural ideology.

 

Civil society is against the belief that particular religious rites and rituals are necessary to develop the sense of values and ethics. They believe that values are can be developed in a family and an environment where the practice of logical and high thinking is possible. Just as religion can be the basis of ethics and values, so can secularism; just as class, caste, gender, environment can provide elements of a system of values, so can human virtues such as honesty, magnanimity, nobility, patriotism. Yet discrimination exists in our society and the opportunities to express virtues limited. Hence the level and quality of the values of this society is not that high. Due to inherent weaknesses, Madrasah education is in a worse situation in this aspect. The opportunist class has one interest in sustaining the discrimination that exists in the education system of Bangladesh and that is to maintain their position of power. The ideology that is channeled into the brains of the relevant people derive from the sacred concepts of religion. Hence all religious institutions combine to silence any criticism any examination of this “sacred” system of education. It is this combined institutional forces that are active in continuing the Madrasah system, which gives birth to an intolerant ideology and fanatical values. These intolerant people easily label people Murtad. Yet the contention that it is possible to develop rational, ethical and moral human beings without Madrasah education is supported by the general education system of our country. Which is why despite the fact that this is a muslim majority country, the nation is a People’s Republic, not an Islamic state. Despite the non-existence of Madrasah education, there are people of high values and morals in many countries.

The Influence of Madrasah Education on the Women’s Movement

The civil society believes that Madrasah education plays a negative role on the women’s movement. Madrasah education does not give equal status to males and females. It also encourages misogyny. Madrasah education is against female-leadership, and teaches that women are subordinate to men in behaviour, attitude, in the workplace. The majority of those educated in Madrasahs think of women as nothing else but reproductive objects. Speakers at religious mehfils or meetings have a common tendency of making verbal attacks on women. Instead of religious or theological discussion, speakers at these programs mostly talk against the natural proclivities of human beings. Individuals who grow up in the closed community under the Madrasah system have very little opportunity to become freethinking human beings. The concept of the intense sinful nature of human sexuality that they are exposed to from early childhood motivates their aggressive and violent stance against the women’s movement.

 

The civil society states that if the curriculum and environment is not woman-friendly, then an educational system cannot be supportive of the women’s movement. The antifeminism of Madrasah educated individuals is notably obvious as both the curriculum and the environment of that type of educational institution are hostile towards women. Civil society members also pointed out that although even general education cannot be said to fully support the equality of men and women, but due to the open nature of the existing environment in these institutions, students are not taught to become fervent misogynists. Hence although Madrasah educated individuals are usually not seen to take part in the women’s empowerment movement, individuals educated in the general mainstream system do provide direct and indirect support. Madrasah education gives birth to reactionary behavior, which is antithetical to women’s liberation, democracy, human rights and above all, the national ideology.

Madrasah Education: An Observation - 21


Comments
Add New Search RSS
Write comment
Name:
Email:
 
Website:
Title:
UBBCode:
[b] [i] [u] [url] [quote] [code] [img] 
 
Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."