Karnataka’s minister for school education and literacy has said that the quality education of children attending madarasas is being assessed to check if their formal education needs have been met. 

 

BC Nagesh, said this following a meeting with the education department and Samagra Shikshana Karnataka officials on Wednesday in Bengaluru. He said that a status report on the level of education among children attending madarasas is being compiled. 

 

“There is a mandate that those children attending Madarasas must attend a nearby school to avail formal education and learn science and maths. However, there is no data to show the enrollment of these children into formal schools and whether or not they are being educated. In the interest of the future of these children, we are looking at the status of education in madarasas,” Nagesh said. 

 

Claiming that not all students studying in madarasas are being taught mathematics and science among the other mainstream subjects, he said that there was a growing demand from parents to look into the same. 

 

“Be it private unaided or aided madarasas, whether or not children are being taught as per the norms laid out under ‘Right to Education Act’, if not, what is the standard of education that is offered here?- These are some aspects we are looking into. Education department officials have been directed to visit the madarasas and submit a report,” he said. 

 

He said that in some instances when education department authorities have visited madarasas seeking information, they failed to co-operate. In such instances, Nagesh said officials have been asked to intervene. 

 

“Once a report is consolidated, a meeting will be called with the managements of the madarasas. The onus of having every child their due under the Right to Education Act’ lies with the government. Hence, we are working in this direction,” he concluded.