Madrassas ‘Unsuitable’ for Proper Education: NCPCR Tells Supreme Court

New Delhi: Madrassas are “unsuitable” places for children to receive “proper education”, said the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to the Supreme Court.

The NCPCR added that the education imparted in Madrassas is “not comprehensive” and is against the provisions of the Right to Education Act.

“A madrassa is not only a unsuitable/unfit place to receive ‘proper’ education but also in absence of entitlements as provided under Sections 19, 21,22, 23, 24, 25, and 29 of the RTE Act,” it said.

“Further, madrassas do not only render an unsatisfactory and insufficient model for education but also have an arbitrary mode of working which is wholly in absence of a standardised curriculum and functioning,” the NCPCR said in its written submissions filed before the top court.

“A madrassa works in an arbitrary manner and runs in an overall violation of the Constitutional mandate, RTE Act and the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015. It cannot be overlooked that a child getting education in such an Institution will be devoid of basic knowledge of school curriculum which is provided in a school.

“A school is defined under Section 2(n) of the RTE Act, 2009, which means any recognised school imparting elementary education. A madrassa being out of this definition has no right to compel children or their families to receive madrassa education,” the NCPCR said.

On April 5, the Supreme Court had stayed an order of the Allahabad High Court that scrapped the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education Act, 2004 calling it “unconstitutional” and violative of the principle of secularism.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud had issued notices to the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh government and others on the pleas against the high court order.