Seminary education reforms

Ittehad Tanzeemul Madaris will be adopting the Federal Board’s curriculum for matriculation and intermediate

The Ittehad Tanzeemul Madaris, a representative body for five seminaries belonging to different schools of thought, has announced that it will be adopting the Federal Board’s curriculum for matriculation and intermediate. This long overdue decision has been taken in line with the policies announced under the National Action Plan and is seen as a necessary change to provide seminary students with a more well-rounded education. While there is a long tradition of seminaries providing religious education, they have lagged behind in equipping their students with the knowledge base necessary for them to able to compete with others who have graduated from government and privately-run schools and colleges. This is seen as part of the reason why seminary students may be susceptible to extremism. Monetary incentives are part of the appeal of militant organisations, especially for those who are living in abject poverty. Having other avenues of employment open to them could potentially give seminary graduates more and higher professional opportunities.

Also, a modern education could broaden minds that may otherwise be too easily channelled towards extremist ideologies that thrive on ignorance and fear. In heavily populous Muslim countries, including Pakistan, seminaries have unfortunately been used to spread a more rigid and militaristic version of religion. This has gone on with little intervention in Pakistan and has led to a situation where these organisations exist largely outside the control of any governmental supervisory bodies. For several years, there have been murmurings regarding the need to reform seminaries and their educational system but little changed until the country was shaken by the APS massacre. Even then the National Action Plan looked likely to remain unfulfilled despite the government’s frequent promises and proclamations. The current policy change could potentially direct seminary education in the right direction but only if words are followed up with careful planning and execution.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 15^th, 2016.

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