Bangladesh is planning to integrate hundreds of Islamic religious schools into the mainstream secular education system in a revamp costing $70 million, an official said Monday. Up to five million children, out of a total of 32 million pupils, study at madrassas, but a 2010 government study found that they score significantly lower in subjects like English and maths than youngsters at mainstream schools.
The overhaul seeks to improve the quality of education offered at madrassas by training Islamic teachers and bringing facilities up to national standards, education ministry spokesman Subdoh Chandra Dhali said. "Madrassas will be able to train their teachers in subjects such as English, science, information technology and mathematics," he said. The project, which is being bankrolled by the Asian Development Bank, aims to bring madrassas - considered by critics to encourage hardline Islam - more closely into the mainstream school system, he said.