Thirty five 'unauthorised' madrassas to be recognised

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Sept. 9: The Malda district administration and education department jointly have planned to enlist 35 ‘unauthorised’ madrassas out of 69 present in the district. The district education department said that those 35 ‘organised’ madrassas would be converted into Madrassa Shiksha Kendra (MSK) under the supervision of Madrassa Education Directorate (MED). This decision was taken on 5 September in a meeting attended by the district magistrate, Sabhadhipati and the district inspector of schools. Following Madhyamik Shiksha Kendra (MSK), which is run under the supervision of the zilla parishad, Madrassa Shiksha Kendra (MSK) will be running under the supervision of MED, said district inspector of schools Mr Chinmay Sarkar. According to Mr Sarkar, the officials are inspecting ‘organised’ madrassas and within a short period the report of its conversion will be prepared. Besides MKS, the district school education department will start inspection to ‘bifurcate’ at least 16 recognised madrassas, where students’ enrollment is high, with a view to setting up 16 new madrassas in this district for the education of those belonging to minority community. The district administration has also decided to set up at least 75 secondary schools in all 15 blocks distributing 5 in each block in the first phase shortly out of 180 which was sanctioned for this district from Sarva Shiksha Mission in this financial year. It was also decided that the district education officials will complete inspection of location after scrutiny of application submitted by the locals in the block level within a month. In the first phase, the education department will try to set up at least five secondary schools in each block. Out of 180 schools only two have been set up in Kaliachak and Ratua, officials said.