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Journalism of Courage
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) last week wrote to chief secretaries of all states and Union territories, recommending that madrasa boards be “closed down”, state funding to madrasas and madrasa boards be stopped, and children attending madrasas be enrolled in “formal schools.”
In Kerala, leaders across the political divide criticised the NCPCR move, but pointed out that even if implemented, the recommendations would have little impact in the state, as madrasas here do not receive government funding and madrasa education does not interfere with regular schooling.
Here is a look at how the madrasa system works in Kerala.
In Kerala, madrasa education is managed by bodies affiliated to various Muslim groups such as Sunni factions and Mujahid. Prominent among these are the Samastha Kerala Islam Matha Vidyabyasa Board and Samastha Kerala Sunni Vidyabhyasa Board. These boards have several madrasas under their aegis, and supervise functions like preparing the syllabus and textbooks, teaching, conducting examinations, issuing certificates, etc.Transfer of students is also through the boards.
Hours don’t affect regular schooling
Running from Class 1 to 12, madrasas are generally attached to a mosque. Classes are held in the morning hours, up to 9 am, after which students go to nearby schools for their regular classes. Some madrasas have evening shifts.
Madrasa education in Kerala is limited to religious and moral teaching. Certain CBSE schools under Muslim managements have madrasa education within the school before regular school hours. A section of English medium schools are running English-medium madrasas, which are also affiliated to any of the madrasa education boards.
To cater to expatriate children, madrasas offer an e-learning facility too.
Kerala boards have affiliated madrasas in other states, like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Teachers’ salary
It is estimated that Kerala has 2.25 lakh madrasa teachers. They are qualified in religious education and appointed by local mosque/mahallu committees as per the guidelines of the boards to which the madrasas are affiliated. Their salary is paid by the respective mahallu/masjid committees, which mobilise the funds mainly from parents.
Government involvement
State government is not involved in running of madrasas, but government has a madrasa teachers welfare fund. In 2010, the government formed a welfare fund for madrasa teachers following the suggestions of a committee headed by Paloli Muhammed Kutty, which was constituted to implement the recommendation of the Sachar Committee report.
The state government, madrasa teachers, and their management are the stakeholders in the fund. In 2018-19, a welfare fund board was formed. The board has a chairman appointed by the government, and a chief operating officer who is a government servant on deputation. The board has 18 members, including representatives of teachers and various madrasa board managements.
In 2010, the state allotted a corpus of Rs 10 crore for the welfare fund. The contribution from the madrasa teacher and management was fixed as Rs 50 each a month. In 2012, the deposits were shifted from banks to the state treasury to make them interest-free, as demanded by various Muslim organisations.
In 2015-16, the state government allotted Rs 3.75 crore as incentive for interest-free deposit in the state treasury. Then in 2021, the board got another sum of Rs 4.16 crore as incentive for interest-free deposit from the state. At present, the board has a deposit of Rs 12 crore in the treasury to meet the existing payment demands.
What teachers make as pension
At present, 1,800 madrasa teachers are given pensions ranging from Rs 1,500 to 2,700 a month. The pension for a teacher who paid the Rs 50 fee for five years is Rs 1,500, and Rs 2,250 for 10 years.
Kerala has 2.25 lakh madras teachers, but only 28,000 have joined the contributory pension scheme. The board gives housing loans, and other assistance such as for marriage and medical treatment, to members.
