NCPCR recommends that Muslim children attending both recognized and unrecognized madrasas be integrated into formal schools to ensure they receive education aligned with the RTE Act’s prescribed curriculum and schedule.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has written to the chief secretaries of all states and union territories, recommending the closure of madrasa boards, cessation of state funding to madrasas, and the enrollment of children attending madrasas into formal schools. This decision, outlined in a letter dated October 11 by NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo, has sparked diverse reactions from political leaders and stakeholders across the country.
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NCPCR’s recommendations and concerns
The NCPCR’s letter highlights concerns regarding the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, stating that religious institutions, including madrasas, have been exempt from its provisions. According to Kanoongo, this exemption has led to the exclusion of children attending religious institutions from the formal education system, depriving them of the quality education guaranteed by the RTE Act.
The letter urges the removal of non-Muslim children from madrasas and their enrollment in formal schools. Additionally, it recommends that Muslim children attending both recognized and unrecognized madrasas be integrated into formal schools to ensure they receive education aligned with the RTE Act’s prescribed curriculum and schedule.
Kanoongo’s letter argues that Articles 29 and 30 of the Constitution, which protect minority rights, have been misinterpreted, leading to the deprivation and discrimination of children in madrasas. He contends that while these articles are meant to empower minorities, they have inadvertently created layers of educational inequality.
Reactions from political leaders
The NCPCR’s recommendations have drawn varied responses from political parties. The Congress has refrained from immediate comment, choosing to review the letter before making a statement. However, Priyank Kharge, Karnataka’s Cabinet Minister for Electronics, IT, Biotech, and Rural Development, criticized the commission’s stance. He argued that instead of calling for the closure of madrasas, the NCPCR should focus on providing remedies. Kharge highlighted that flaws exist in government schools across states, as pointed out by reports like the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER). “Does it mean you shut them down and stop funding?” he asked, adding that the state government will review the report’s findings before making a decision.
Kharge told the Indian Express, “And it is so ironic to see this development days after the Maharashtra government decided to triple the salaries of madrasa teachers.”
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NCPCR’s report on madrasas
Accompanying the letter, the NCPCR has sent a detailed report titled Guardians of Faith or Oppressors of Rights: Constitutional Rights of Children vs Madrasas. The report claims that many madrasas violate children’s educational rights. It raises concerns about the curriculum taught in madrasas, stating that it is not aligned with the RTE Act. The report also highlights the use of Diniyat books with “objectionable content,” texts that profess the “supremacy of Islam,” and the use of books published in Pakistan by the Bihar Madrasa Board.
Additionally, the NCPCR report notes the lack of trained and qualified teachers in madrasas. It argues that most madrasa teachers rely on conventional methods of teaching the Quran and religious texts, rather than meeting the qualifications and standards outlined by the National Council for Teacher Education. The absence of qualified teachers and adherence to the pupil-teacher ratio specified by the RTE Act, according to the report, leaves children in madrasas at a significant educational disadvantage.
