Govt opens mainstream window for Madrasa students, ties up with NIOS

Shruthi H M Sastry, DH News Service, Bengaluru

Bengaluru: The state government will tie up with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) to offer an opportunity for mainstream educational qualifications to students studying in Madrasas in the state, Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda said on
Wednesday. 

Responding to a question in this regard raised by MLC B M Farooq, Gowda, who answered on behalf of Minority Welfare Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, said that the state government intended to teach Mathematics, English, Kannada, General Science and Social Sciences to children studying in Madrasas.

“We are exploring an option to tie up with NIOS and we want to offer these subjects on a pilot basis in 100 schools. Once we get the affiliation from NIOS, we can start the new system,” he
said.

In its written response, the government said it intended to teach the above subjects to students in Madrasas for a period of two years on a pilot basis. These students will then be eligible to take up SSLC, PUC and other degrees through NIOS, or can even opt for distance
education. 

Earlier, the Minority Welfare minister had announced that the government will introduce Kannada and English in Madrasas in an attempt to modernise the education system in these institutions, where the medium of instruction primarily is Urdu or Arabic. He had also mooted a Madrasa Board in the state with an intention to improve education among
minorities.