The Basic Reasons behind Madrassa (Religious) Education......A case study

Madrassa refers to religious school in which different courses are taught, all concerning about religion. Thus madrassa education is religious education. There are more than 10,000 madrassas currently operating in Pakistan and it is estimated that one to two million children are enrolled in these madrassas. Before the emergence of secular education in Sub-continent, these were the religious schools which produced students who were able to perform different tasks in different fields. But after the emergence of secular education, the recruitment criterion for different jobs, previously occupied by madrassas' students, was changed and most of the jobs were now occupied by the students having secular education. But still large number of students is getting religious education in madrassas.
This research aimed to find out the factors that attract or compel people to opt madrassa education for their children. The locale of the study was a village, Naway Kallay in district Dir Upper (NWFP, Pakistan). In this village there is a great inclination towards madrassa education. Often people admit their children in school and then in the mid or after completing primary education they reject general education and opt madrassa education for their children. So this study aimed to find out the factors behind this inclination.

For understanding any society anthropologically the understanding of its social, economic and political organizations are very important. One can not get insight of that society without understanding these organizations.

Majority of the school age children are getting religious education in madrassas rather than studying in school. Almost all the children have joined madrassas by the choice of their parents. More than fifty percent people gave the reason of poor economy that becomes a contributing factor of inclination towards madrassa education. The village has only one primary school and the people can only educate their children up to primary level. After primary education their economic position does not permit them to educate them with further education. Under these conditions they are obliged to send them to madrassa. Religious factor is also a contributing factor. There are people who send their children to madrassa just for the sack of Islam; for the pleasure of Allah. These people have religious background. These people have the desire to educate at least one son with religious education.
People who do not send their children to madrassa gave different reasons. But the number of such people is very low as compared to those who send children to madrassa. Some people gave the reason of less number of children in their houses as they have a lot of tasks to do and there must be some one in home to perform these tasks.
Also there are people who said that many children of the village have studied in madrassas and still many are studying but none of them have fruitful results. Most of them are wage labors, farmers or doing other such jobs. So they do not favor madrassa education.

There are also some people who have the intention to send their children to madrassa but not yet. For this they gave the reason of less age. They said that at this age (10-12, years) children can not pass time without parents.

Total number of students studying in madrassas from the village Naway Kallay is 57 and majority of these are studying in Bajaur madrassa. Besides Bajaur some are studying in Chakdara and a small number is studying in Dir city. Six interviews have been conducted with students of Naway Kallay in Dir madrassa who also gave the reason of poor economy for joining madrassa.

In this study the researcher tested his hypotheses which are: (1) Absence or shortage of general education has increased people interest towards madrassa education, (2) Madrassas provides free education as well free food thus becomes a source of financial support for the poor people. So it may be the poor economy that compels people to opt madrassa education for their children. So in the study the two hypotheses were verified and it is also evident from the findings that majority of the people send their children to madrassa due to poor economy and lack of facilities for general education in the village.

So, poor economy is the major contributing factor that stimulates people to join madrassa because they can not afford the huge expenses of modern general education and people do not want their children to involve in unnecessary time-wasting activities. So madrassa becomes the only option to send their children to it and they consider madrassa a secured place for their children. Because madrassa education is also job oriented. A madrassa student can get job in schools and madrassa for teaching Islamic subjects. He can also serve as a religious leader (Molvi) in mosques for which he is paid.