A study on opinion of Madarsa teachers with regard to teacher education in the context of RTE in Hyderabad


This is the research article presented in the national conference of CESI during 9-12 October, 2012
Abstract
Every child between the ages of 6 to 14 years has the right to free and compulsory education. The Right to Education (RTE) Act is a landmark in the history of education of children in India. The children have been guaranteed for their right to quality elementary education by the state with the help of their families and communities. The children from 6-14 years of age have been covered under this Act. This act is useful in the context of bringing back out-of school, dropt outs, excluded children. This act also ensures provision of suitably qualified teachers in sufficient numbers. This also ensures good environment and infrastructural facilities in the school. It is rightly visualised under RTE Act – 2009 that for education to be meaningful it must be available, accessible, acceptable and adaptable by all sections of the society. Teachers have great role to play in education for all. Hence, we need to know more about teacher education of Madarsa teachers in the context of RTE - 2009 Act. Hence, in the present paper investigators intends to see the opinion regarding need for teacher education of Madarsa teachers.
Madarsa education in India aims at educating Muslim children living in this country both in religious and worldly domains. Madarsa were originally established to spread the message of Islam and impart religious teaching to its followers. The Ulemas, a group of religious specialists used to perform the role of teachers in Madarsa to spread Islam outside the Arabian Peninsula. A Madarsa was treated as a high school or college in olden days. In the Islamic era, there were thousands of Madarsas which were as big as some universities today. They were full with exhibits, museums, libraries and visiting scholar programmes. Great scholars and professors dedicated their lives in the Madarsas for learning the philosophy of Islam, the Arabic, Farsi (Persian) language, and more significantly, to broaden knowledge among ordinary public.
Monarchs as well as masses were educated in the Madarsa in the yester years. Even today Madarsa education in India plays a vital role in educating thousands of Muslim children. Sachar Committee Report (2006), indicates that about 3% of children are learning in such Madarsas in present era. The importance of Madarsa lies in its potential to make education available to the poorer section of the society. The role of Madarsa during freedom struggle in India is noteworthy. Some sections of society raise their doubts regarding present day role of Madarsa education in the context of rapid development of Indian society and old dated education provided in Madarsa. Is it because of the fact that the teachers of Madarsa do not have any upto date knowledge of general school education? What is the role sarva shiksha abhiyan in mainstreaming and inclusion of Madrasa? Whether the central or state government provide various facilities for improvement of Madarsa education? What is the role of Madarsa in changing scenario during the implementation of RTE?
With the above questions in mind the investigators have thought that there is need to study teacher education for Madarsa teachers. Hence, it is envisioned to make ‘a study on opinion of Madarsa teachers with regard to teacher education in the context of RTE in Hyderabad’. The main purpose of the study is to find out the,
·         background of Madarsa teachers
·         curriculum of Madarsa education
·         perception of Madarsa teachers regarding teacher education.
The survey method will be adopted for the study. Data will be gathered from teachers working in Madarsa by developing a questionnaire. The population of the study will be all the teachers working in different Madarsas of Hyderabad and a representative sample based on purposive random sampling technique will be selected. The investigators will personally visit the Madarsa and gather data. The data thus obtained will be analysed by a suitable statistical techniques.
The study will be of immense use for statutory bodies like NCTE to develop certain guidelines for teacher education for Madarsa teachers. This may also guide the institutes like MANUU to think about innovative programmes for this group.

Key words
Madarsa teachers, teacher education
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The complete paper is available at following address