There has always been a huge disparity between students educated in modern classrooms and their counterparts educated in madrasas and darulalooms. Modernizing these religious institutions is very important and crucial so that the students who attain education from these don’t feel out of place once they join the mainstream life. Reforms of these institutions is crucial for upliftment of Muslim youth, who choose these institutions, and enabling them to compete with their counterparts in the affairs of the real world. While pursuing Deen (religion) is good but not being equipped to live a constructive and fruitful life in Duniya (world) is not going to help these students. If Muslim society in India aspires to succeed academically, it has to modernize the madrasa education and give the students there an opportunity to learn new skills like technology and the other subjects in the real world without interfering with the conventional education of the madrasa. The smart learning education system is a blessing for individuals who want to make the most of their resources in the age of new technology. Smart learning education systems use cutting edge tools and techniques to keep students and the teachers on the same page.
In India, the literacy rate among Muslims is plummeting against the national literacy rate. This gap has grown and not narrowed over the years. Reason being that poor Muslim parents prefer madrasa education for their wards and these madrasas don’t dish out modern education. Modern education will give Muslim students, who graduate from these seminaries, a progressive socio-political perspective and help them integrate with fast progressing life around. The Bihar government’s initiative to launch smart classes in madrasas is a healthy departure from traditional teaching and learning methods of these institutions. The policy was created with the goal of encouraging students to enroll in madrasas. The scheme will provide digital boards, computers, sports kits, a dual desk or bench and teaching materials. Rajasthan government too has passed similar legislation. Rajasthan’s government has allocated Rs. 13.10 crore to ensure that 500 madrasas approved by the state madrasa board have smart classrooms.
Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory government too should look into the issue and come forward to help modernise the madrasas. In the UT there are several madrasas and darulalooms. A survey should be done to find out that what needs to be done to ensure that children who study there are equipped with modern education. While the state governments in rest of India are trying to mix the religious and modern education so that the ulema who come out of these seminaries are able to combine knowledge of the Islamic tradition and modern world. This initiative is going to benefit Muslims both in Deen (religion) and Duniya (world) and the UT government should pitch in to make it happen here too. Madrasas should be established not with the sole purpose of producing imams and hafizs but doctors, engineers, technocrats and scientists etc. too.
