According to a report, institution of madrassa (seminary) is gradually losing its charm and witnessing a slow but steady decline in the number of enrollments over the past couple of years.
Madrassa officials are said to have revealed a decline in enrolment upto more than 25% over the past four years. They believe that the scholarship scheme has encouraged parents and students to seek modern education resulting in striking reduction in the number of students opting for religious education.
They also blamed Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’s (SSA) meager grant of Rs 2,960 to a handful of madrassa student per year towards teaching and learning material (TLM) for students, for lack of interest students in madrasa education. As per SSA records there are 1200 madrassas in the city while the unofficial estimates peg the number of madrassas at 3,000. Members of the Deeni Madaaris Board feel that free education in many madrassas has failed to act as an incentive.
Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, general secretary, Deeni Madaaris Board said, “Since these scholarships pay these students’ fee for a modern education they have been flocking schools. Further, there are a large number of madrassas not only in the city but across districts which refuse to take aid from the Sarva Shiksha Abhyan (SSA). To add to the woes, grants from donors, except those in Ramadan as zakat, have been few and far between.” However, scholars pointed out that the five or six larger and reputed seminaries, graduate and postgraduate centres in the city such as Jamia Nizamia and Al Mahad Al Aali remain unaffected.
A bleak job prospects is also the main force behind the drop out from madrasa. The madrasa passed outs get just Rs. 3000 to 5000 salary per month they need to seek modern education or train themselves in another vocation to secure a decent job.