Hyderabad madarasas to go hitech

2006
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, April 5: Madarasas in the State are all set to go hitech with the State government deciding to equip them with computers and introduce modern education in a bid to improve the educational standards of students coming out of these religious schools.
The State government has sanctioned Rs 1 crore for computers in Islamic seminaries and the first batch of computers will be handed over to madarasas on April 7. The State has about 5000 registered madarasas and six per cent of Muslim students study in these schools. The government plans to cover all the madarasas in the State in phases.
Moreover, dozens of madarasas are also being covered under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan for computerisation. Some of these madarasas will have internet connectivity so that students keep a tab on the developments around the world.
Urdu Academy chairman Raheemuddin Ansari told this correspondent that the State government would route computers through the Academy. "To begin with we will give computers to 15 madarasas in the city. Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy will launch the programme on April 7. This is the first time that the government is supplying computers to traditional madarasas in twin cities. We will extend the programme to the rest of the State soon," he said.
Already various government agencies from the USA, Britain and Australia have been helping madarasas with funds to set up computer training centres. The madarasas, which have introduced English, mathematics and science as subjects along with the traditional religious curriculum, are given special funds to enable the management to sustain the courses.
With the Deeni Madaris Board, the umbrella organisation of various madarasas in the State, raising objection to the government's decision, the State government has made it clear that it would not interfere with the designing of the curriculum. "Our duty ends with the supply of computers. We will not interfere in the functioning of madarasas," Ansari pointed out.