There is certainly a case to be made for improving the state of our national education system, especially in regards to revamping the curriculum. And while the system is most definitely not in alignment with Bangladesh's current goals, economic or social, the government has been making small steps towards that goal.
However, there is still a subset of our education system that has seen next to nothing in terms of reform or even curricular updates. Existing as an entirely separate entity from our main education system, madrasas have drawn their fair share of criticism for ignoring the subjects and skills needed for a productive life in the twenty-first century, with the Qawmi system coming under special scrutiny in this regard.
While in the past the government had ordered madrasa education boards to remove references to phrases such as “jihad” from their textbooks, it is increasingly becoming clearer that Madrasa education needs to be brought up to a standard that can not only bypass dogmatic behaviour but one that also produce good samaritans.
Which is why the Qawmi madrasa system simply cannot be allowed to continue in its current form any longer.
Qawmi madrasas would better serve its students by making them more employable, and given that the Alia madrasa system already teaches a government-approved curriculum, Qawmi madrasas need to be brought into the fold without delay.
Which means that the onus is now on such madrasas to ensure that their curriculum emphasizes science, social studies, mathematics, and English in equal measures to that of religious scripture.
In an increasingly globalized world, madrasas would not want to be left behind and deprived of the opportunities that other systems enjoy. As such, bringing madrasa education systems up to speed is now more important than ever.