‘Send Hindu children studying in madrasas to normal schools’, NCPCR appeals to MP government

NCPCR chief asked Madhya Pradesh government to send Hindu children studying in madrasas to normal schools. National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairman Priyank Kanungo on Friday requested the BJP government of Madhya Pradesh to send Hindu children studying in madrasas to normal schools. He said that these Islamic institutions do not come under the Right to Education (RTE) Act.

More than 9 thousand Hindu children are studying in madrasas of MP

NCPCR chairman Priyank Kanungo said that 9,417 Hindu children are studying in 1,755 registered madrasas in Madhya Pradesh and these institutions also lack the basic development required under the RTE (Right to Education) Act. He also said that Muslim children studying in unregistered madrasas should also be sent to normal schools. Kanungo told, “I request the Madhya Pradesh government to take out Hindu children studying in madrasas.” The NCPCR chief was here to hold a meeting with various state departments regarding the protection of child rights.

Madrasa teachers do not even have B.Ed. degree: Kanungo

During the meeting, Kanungo further said, “The Act under which the MP Madrasa Board came into existence defines madrasas and clearly states that Islamic religious education should be imparted in them. Section 1 of the Right to Education Act keeps madrasas out of the purview of the Right to Education Act.” He claimed that according to the information available with the NCPCR, the teachers of these madrasas do not have a B.Ed. degree and have not even taken the Teacher Eligibility Test. He also said that their infrastructure is also not in accordance with the RTE Act.

Demand to transfer Muslim children from unregistered madrasas to normal schools

Priyank Kanungo expressed strong objection to sending Hindu children to madrasas and said, “The security system in madrasas is not good. I request the MP government to fix it immediately.” The child rights body chief further said that it is the government’s job to set up schools under the RTE Act and “funding the madrasa board is like depriving poor children of their right to education.” He said, “Those Muslim children who are studying in unregistered madrasas should also be immediately sent to (normal) schools.”