Karnataka: Madrasas to compulsorily teach English and Kannada

Member of Legislative Assembly from Chamarajpet, B.Z Zameer Ahmed Khan examined the progress of the work undertaken by the Minority Welfare Department on Monday and also addressed the officials of the department in a meeting. He laid emphasis on the remodelling of Madrasas by integrating them into mainstream education. This would be achieved by the introduction of Kannada as a subject for the students of the institution. English, Math and Science would also be imbibed as part of Madrassa education. 

There are 1265 madrassas registered under the Karnataka Waqf Board. Of these, this initiative would be rolled out in 100 madrassas on a trial basis in the first year before making it compulsory across the board from the next year onwards. 5000 children are currently enrolled in the 100 madrassas wherein this plan would be put into action with immediate effect. 

This move was welcomed by the Kannada language activists. Arun Javagal, state organisational secretary of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike was in support of this directive.“This will help the children from the minority community to come to the mainstream. Though they can speak the Kannada language, they will learn to write and read which will benefit them,” he stated in an interaction with the IANS.