Pakistan News And Discussion-9

Naresh · (This post was last modified: 02-05-2007, 05:24 PM by Naresh.)

[center]Rich school, poor school : Dr Ayesha Siddiqa[/center]

It is time the government made a plan for bridging the gap between the three systems of education prevalent in the country: private schools; government schools and madrassahs. However, that would require an even-handed approach, among other things

The demolition of an illegal mosque-madrassah complex in Islamabadâs G sector has drawn a very angry reaction from the female students, the mullahs and those sympathetic to their views. The female students have invaded and occupied the childrenâs library next-door and refuse to vacate it until the government restores the mosque.

What should we make of this?

The demolition of the mosque is part of an official decision to demolish all illegal mosques of which there are many (a long list of them in the Capital territory alone has recently been put out by the newspapers). Why must the religious elements protest the issue?

The government must remove all the buildings that have been illegally constructed by people and groups in collusion with corrupt political and administrative authorities. Mosques cannot be exempted in this regard. The religious life in a city or a community has to fit into the larger civic plan of a place. Demolishing or not allowing a mosque to be constructed at any place is not an anomaly. The government in Saudi Arabia or the Gulf states has a total control of where mosques are to be constructed or even what can be said in a sermon in the mosque.

While we are at it, let me add to the list by pointing out the illegal mosque and madrassah in the greenbelt F-8 sector. This mosque was constructed illegally under the patronage of (late) General Zia-ul Haq and is known for its firebrand imam who vociferously opposes the government and its policies. I am quite sure that F-8 will look better without the mosque and the hundreds of students trooping in and out of the madrassah every day where they are taught intolerant views.

I am completely with the government on this. But while it is essential to get rid of illegally constructed mosque-madrassah complexes, wherever they might be, what about other illegal buildings, most of which do not look like a mosque? For instance, in the same F-8 sector, there is also an elitist school, which like other private schools cannot be legally opened in a residential area. In fact, since I live in the neighbourhood, it is far more annoying to wake up in the morning to the din of noisy kids or listen to them swearing in English all day than the madrassah students who seem more disciplined.

This school is also an illegal entity. However, in this case, higher authorities intervened on behalf of the school administration to force some select neighbours to sign a no-objection-certificate to allow a school to be set up and run in the residential area. The Bosnian ambassador was prevailed upon to sign the certificate. Others neighbours were not even asked.

How is this favouritism different from the patronage General Zia-ul Haq provided to the mosques and madrassahs during his tenure? It is a coincidence that since Zia was religiously oriented and comparatively conservative than the present leadership, he allowed the religious schools to open up on government land without seeking permission. Interestingly, every authoritarian leader has his/her own hallmark. The current regime encourages the illegal act of opening schools in residential areas â all in the name of public-private partnership or improving the image of the country.

The students attending this uppity school do not seem to have learnt the fine art of tolerance and concern for ordinary citizens and neighbours. This particular branch is a nightmare for the neighbours, especially in the morning and the afternoon when luxury cars are haphazardly parked outside the neighboursâ houses. The parents and drivers of these privileged kids show no mercy for people residing in the neighbourhood. Not to mention the school bell which rings occasionally without any consideration that it might be disturbing the neighbourhood.

Islamabad has over 1,000 schools illegally operating in residential areas. The logic is that there is no facility to open these schools elsewhere and dislocating them to areas such as sectors I and H would be inconvenient. This is certainly a noble concern for the children of the elite who would not really be inconvenienced if they have to drive a little distance to reach their schools.

These schools have failed to become institutions of learning with the primary aim of building character. But since they are part of the free-market economy and will prepare young minds to go abroad or join the corps of the ruling elite, it is understandable that there is hardly any effort to remove them.

The children attending these private schools, especially the elite schools, are kids of influential people who can force the government to ignore any illegality. In the changing environment of the day, the political power of the rich and the influential is greater than the political clout or the street power of the mullah who is the guardian of madrassahs.

But the image of a country is not just a function of moving from one extreme end to another but by establishing rules and laws that are followed to the letter and spirit across the board.

Madrassahs have become a nuisance not because there is something innately wrong with the concept but because the State adopted certain policies for which it needed recruits and the madrassah was made to provide those recruits. In a country where the State has abdicated its responsibility to provide quality education â or any education â the madrassah is as much a part of self-help as the private schools. But unlike the private school-going kids, the madrassah-going kids do not have an option because they belong to the lower strata of society. Is it fair to take away their only form of activity without providing them with an alternative?

The opportunity cost of forcing these children out on the streets will be phenomenal unless the government comes up with an alternative plan for their future. The government only seems to be concerned about improving its image, which, besides other things, also involves removing all structures and symbols not popular with Islamabadâs foreign patrons. But this is really a one-legged policy and while it might change the image superficially, it wouldnât solve the problems of underdevelopment.

How abut the CDA constructing residential schools for the needy and the destitute kids who are not left with any option but to go to a madrassah? One good look at the madrassah-going kids reveals their social status. Unleashing these kids into the streets would cause greater damage. It is not just about ideology, but also about lack of opportunities.

It is time the government made a plan for bridging the gap between the three systems of education prevalent in the country: private schools; government schools, and madrassahs. However, that would require an even-handed approach, among other things.

Islamabad, like other major cities in the country, suffers from the problem of poor real estate and social-sector planning. It has expanded without the capacity to cater to an ever-growing population. Resultantly, restaurants, schools and other businesses are opening up in residential areas. When it comes to allocation of real estate, the CDA has indulged in doling out land to generate revenue. This means that land is purchased by those who can afford it. This strategy does not provide opportunities to the poor segments of the population; indeed, it gives options to the rich and the influential at the cost of the deprived.

It is time that the real-estate distribution, town and civil planning and other related policies are re-structured to narrow the gap among the different classes of society.

The writer is an Islamabad-based independent defence analyst and author of the forthcoming book, Military Inc, Inside Pakistanâs Military Economy

Cheers <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' />

Login




Remember me Lost Password?