Growing preference for religious education

Parents have long preferred religious education for their children in this part of the world. The number of people receiving religious education during the past three decades has only gone up. The Population and Housing Census 2022 report showed that the population ratio obtaining religious education increased to 7.19 per cent in 2021 from 5.58 per cent in 2011 and 3.16 per cent in 2001.

Understanding the trend is necessary by putting the figures in perspective. The latest population census also showed that the population ratio in the field of general education had declined during the period under review. In 2021, it came down to 89.26 per cent from 93.71 per cent in 2011 and 96.44 per cent in 2001. Do these statistics mean people are increasingly becoming less interested in general or regular education, and more are opting for religion-based education? Any straight-cut answer is not available.

In Bangladesh, religious education is offered by madrasas, which have a long history. As more than 90 per cent of the country's population is Muslim, madrasas have a strong foothold to spread Islamic education with focus on the religious scriptures. There are two main streams of madrasa education. One is government-funded Aliyah madrasas that teach both secular and religious subjects simultaneously, from primary to secondary levels. These educational institutions follow the national curriculum and are regulated by the Madrasa Education Board.

Another is Quomi madrasa that the government does not regulate. These madrasas generally follow orthodox Deobandi traditions. Many Quomi madrasas have, however, started to teach secular subjects like Bangla and English language and literature, mathematics, and social sciences. Since 2018, the government has recognised the unregistered Quomi madrasa's highest degree, Dawrah Hadith, which is equivalent to a master's degree. There are 20,000 Quomi madrasas, whereas Alia madrasas are around 10,000.

Besides these two mainstreams of madrasa education, there is a growing trend of madrasa-oriented kindergarten, pre-cadet and other general schools. These institutions are hybrid in nature, where religious and secular teaching simultaneously follows the modern approach to some extent.

There are various reasons behind a growing number of children taking religious education. Many low-income families prefer madras education as they have to pay a marginal amount as expenses. They can also get some support from solvent relatives and charitable organisations for sending their children to madrasa. Even a growing number of middle-income households now seek educational institutions offering this education. The misperception about general education, coupled with various controversies over curriculums, textbooks and frequent changes in curricula have driven many to go for madrasa or similar educational institutions. Many also apprehend that the ongoing debate on the newly introduced national curriculum may further push many to opt for religious education.

Again, some parents also firmly believe that getting an education from a madrasa or religion-based school will help their children strengthen their moral character. There is also a widespread belief that education from these institutions will enhance the deep knowledge of the religious doctrines and practices, which is necessary for emancipation in the afterlife.  

Nevertheless, the country's madrasa education is complex and sometimes shady. One strong allegation is that some of these educational institutions are used to promote religious extremism, leading to fanatic and terrorist activities. In some institutions, undermining the fundamental spirit of the Liberation War is also prevalent under cover of religious principles. That's why strict supervision and effective regulation are necessary. Educational institutions are not places for promoting hatred and fanaticism, they are centres for learning and acquiring knowledge for upholding the cause of humanity.

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