Taking steps to ensure Madrasa education is integrated with mainstream education, says Jamiat

New Delhi [India], Sept 12 (ANI): Jamiat- Ulema-i-Hind on Thursday announced that it is taking steps to ensure that religious education imparted through Madarasas will be integrated with the mainstream education system.

It also said that it wants to bring reforms in the religious education system by Integrating formal education with it.

Maulana Mahmood Madani, General Secretary of the organisation, told ANI, "While the body is against the interference of government in its religious education system, Jamiat wants to undertake reforms by itself."

It is to be noted that Madani had hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Minister for Minorities Welfare Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi rolled out schemes for Madarasa modernisation.

"Our vision is that when our students go for their graduation in religious studies, they should have certificate of class XII on them. They should be equipped with formal education," said Madani. Madarsas are minority institutions imparting Islamic religious education.

Elaborating on the plan to reform Madarsas, Madani said that they will, if need be, speak to various state education boards to streamline the curriculum.

"We may go with NIOS or speak with boards of different states for curriculum or affiliation. This would be our endeavour. It's a revolutionary step," added Madani.

On June 11, the Central government had announced that Madrasas across India will be connected with mainstream education for the betterment of children studying in the Islamic seminaries.

"Madrasas are in large number across the country. They will be connected with the formal education and mainstream education so that those children studying there can also contribute in the development of the society," Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the Union Minister for Minority Affairs, told ANI.

Modernisation of Madrasas is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plan that he laid out in the run-up to Lok Sabha elections in 2014.

"Hold Quran in one hand and computer in other," Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said.