In a brilliant post, Asim Khwaja lays bare the Madrassa Myth of Pakistan. In post-9/11 era, there is media perception that Pakistan's madrassas (religious schools) are rising in prominence and are the hot bed of terror. This is a common myth that even NY Times ascribes to in the article Pakistan’s Islamic Schools Fill Void, but Fuel Militancy. The facts, as stated by Khawja, are:
Madrassas in 2005-06 still only accounted for 1.3 percent of enrolled children (In Pakistan’s four provinces), versus 34 percent in non-religious private schools and the remainder in public schools.
The fascinating bit of truth behind the myth is the rise of private education in Pakistan, a state that is on the verge of collapse.
Moreover these non-religious private schools are increasingly catering to the middle and poor class. With monthly fees less than a days' unskilled wage rate, they are affordable and attract students from even the poorest households. Madrassas are therefore simply not the schools of last resort. For the average Pakistani child, even among the poor living in rural areas and in urban slums, the most likely alternative to a decrepit public school is not a madrassa but a private school, or no schooling at all. Moreover, despite the low fees and low wages (a fifth of public sector teacher wages) and less qualified (local women) teachers, they offer substantially higher quality education than public schools (likely by better incentivizing and selecting their teac
Is it a heartening sign? Or a sign of desperation? Either way, Californians who are smitten by the alliance between government and teacher's union should pay heed.
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