View source for Qawmi madrasa

{{Short description|Type of school in Bangladesh}}
{{Use Bangladeshi English|date=January 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Cleanup|reason=possible [[wp:synthesis|SYNTHESIS]] and [[wp:OR|OR]] as discussed in inappropriate note(s)|date=August 2022}}

'''Qawmi Madrasah''' ({{langx|bn|কওমী মাদ্রাসা}}, {{langx|ar|<!--The following spelling is correct. If you see anything odd, your browser isn't Unicode compliant:-->المدرسة القومية|al-Madrasah al-Qawmiyyah}}){{NoteTag|also variously [[Phonetic transcription|phonetically]] [[Transliteration|transliterated]] as '''Quawmi''', '''Quomi''', '''Qaumi''', '''Qaumee''', '''Kawmi''', or '''Qawmy'''}} is an [[adjective]] describing one of the two major [[madrasah]] educational categories in [[Bangladesh]].<ref name=mumtazahmad2004/><ref name=worldbank2009/> The Qawmi madrasahs are not regulated by the [[Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Riaz |first=Ali |author-link=Ali Riaz |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HxOOwy-4J4UC&pg=PA218 |title=Faithful Education: Madrassahs in South Asia |publisher=[[Rutgers University Press]] |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-8135-4345-1 |page=218}}</ref> As private [[charitable organization]]s, Qawmi madrasahs are supported almost exclusively by [[donation]].

In the past, the [[degree (education)|degrees]] they conferred lacked [[Educational accreditation|accreditation]] or official recognition, unlike those conferred by official Alia madrasahs (also spelled "Aliya" and "Aliah"),<ref name=mumtazahmad2004/><ref name=abdallajuly2004/> which follow the [[Aliah University|Calcutta Alia]] tradition.<ref name="bano2008"/> Starting in 2006, two years after the founding of the privately run Befaqul Mudarressin [[Board of education|education board]] for Qawmi madrasahs, the [[Government of Bangladesh]] began to recognize some Qawmi degrees.<ref name=ellis2007/>

As of 2006, there were approximately 15,000 registered Qawmi madrasahs in Bangladesh.<ref name="bano2008"/><ref name="dstar1"/> with 200,000 teachers educating 4&nbsp;million students.<ref name="dstar1"/> Actual figures are unknown<ref name=worldbank2009/>{{ref|B|b}} and Qawmi madrasas do not keep enrollment records.<ref name=ellis2007/> Moreover, it has been argued that if unregistered Qawmi madrasahs were counted then it could put the total number of Bangladeshi madrasahs as high as 64,000<ref name=saminaahmed2005/>{{ref|A|a}}—suggesting that Qawmi madrasahs outnumber their official Alia counterparts<ref name="bano2008"/> (of which 25,201 existed in 2004<ref name=abdallajuly2004/>).

==History==
{{Deobandi}}
Qawmi educational practices originate from the traditional Muslim educational system of Bangladesh.<ref name=dstar25jan2009>Hasan, Zeeshan. ''[http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=72723 Market solutions for Qawmi madrasas]''.</ref> During the [[British Empire|British colonial period]], these types of madrasahs were called "Khariji," or outside of government.<ref name=abdallajuly2004/> Later, the term "Qawmi" emerged from the word "qom" (meaning "the public")—stemming from the fact that Qawmi madrasahs reject state funding and instead rely on donations from the public.<ref name="bano2008"/>

After 1971, some Qawmi madrasahs began to modernize their teaching, such as by switching the [[Medium of instruction|language of instruction]] from [[Urdu]] to [[Bengali language|Bengali]] and adding some English language and mathematics lessons.<ref name=dstar25jan2009/> In 1978, a government body called the "Non-government Education Board" was established in an attempt to co-ordinate these madrasahs, of which 2,043 registered with that board by 1998.<ref name=hossain2010/>

The later part of the 20th century saw a major largely unregulated growth in the whole madrasah sector, which expanded from roughly 4,100 schools in 1986 to potentially as many as 64,000 schools by 2005.<ref name=saminaahmed2005/>

The Befaqul Mudarressin of Bangladesh Qawmi Madrasah Education Board was formed in 2004.<ref name=abdallajuly2004/> Soon afterwards, from August 2006, the Bangladeshi government began recognizing and supporting the Qawmi system through recognizing the 'Dawra degree' of the Qaumi madrasas as equivalent to master's degree in Islamic Studies or Arabic literature.<ref name="IPCS">{{cite web|last1=Singh|first1=Supriya|title=Recognizing Qaumi Madrasas in Bangladesh: Boon or a Bane?|url=http://www.ipcs.org/article/bangladesh/recognizing-qaumi-madrasas-in-bangladesh-boon-or-a-bane-2114.html|access-date=17 April 2017}}</ref><ref name=ellis2007/> By this time, approximately 15,000 madrasahs had registered with the Befaqul Mudarressin.<ref name=dstar1/> In April 2017, Prime Minister [[Sheikh Hasina]] reiterated her commitment to the earlier recognition of certificates of Dawrae Hadith under Qawmi Madrasa Education Boards as equivalent to master's degree in Islamic Studies and Arabic.<ref>{{cite news|title=Qawmi Madrasa Dawrae Hadith gets recognition|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/country/qawmi-madrasa-dawrae-hadith-gets-recognition-1389823|access-date=17 April 2017|agency=Daily Star}}</ref>

==Qawmi education systems==
There are two major Qawmi educational systems: those that use the old [[Dars-i-Nizami]] curriculum and those that have a modified Nizami curriculum<ref name=hossain2010/> (such as by including the English language and the subject of mathematics).<ref name=dstar25jan2009/>

The Dars-i-Nizami system originated from early eighteenth century India.<ref name=dmuslims3jan2010>Sikand, Yoginder ''[http://www.dailymuslims.com/Education/Madrasah/614.html Maulana Tariq Rashid Firangi Mahali on Dars-e Nizami and Madrasa Reform in South Asia] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106052423/http://www.dailymuslims.com/Education/Madrasah/614.html |date=6 January 2009 }}''</ref> There is some controversy regarding movements to "reform" the system, with some calling the move "an 'anti-Islamic' conspiracy, alleging that these are a means to secularise madrasas and rob them of their Islamic identity"—though reformers generally contest that they do not want secularization and that they are not a conspiracy.<ref name=dmuslims3jan2010/>

In general, Qawmi primary education lasts six years, though it does not differentiate students by progressive [[Educational stage|grade levels]].<ref name=abdallajuly2004/> While the Qawmi primary level covers all subjects found in other madrasah systems, there is no specific time-sequence or order by which subjects are taught, as would be expected in grade-based systems. Thus, imposing class-graduated terminology on the Qawmi system may not be meaningful.<ref name=abdallajuly2004/>

==Befaqul Mudarressin of Bangladesh Qawmi Madrasah Education Board==
In 2004, many Qawmi madrasahs began organizing together under an umbrella organization called the '''Befaqul Mudarressin''' (also transliterated as Wafaq ul Madaris) '''of [[Bangladesh Qawmi Madrasah Education Board]]''', based in [[Dhaka]], including seven smaller private Madrasah education boards.<ref name=abdallajuly2004/> It is an extension of the process that formed the [[Wafaq ul Madaris Al-Arabia, Pakistan]] in 1957.<ref name="bano2008"/>

The board was founded to assure a [[standardized]] curriculum and to provide a centralized examination. Membership with the board is voluntary, though required for degree accreditation by the Befaqul Mudarressin.<ref name="bano2008"/>

It is organized under a three-tiered representative system led an executive body. The second tier committee comprises senior madrasahs, followed a third tier of ordinary member schools.<ref name="bano2008"/>

===Statistics===
As of 2008, the board oversees almost 9000 madrasahs at the following levels:<ref name="bano2008"/>
{| class="wikitable" border="0" style="background:#ffffff" align="top" width="425px"
|+ align="center" style="background:Sienna; color:white" |<big>'''Madrasahs under the Qawmi education board by level'''</big>
|- 
! style="background:Linen; color:Black" | Level
! style="background:Linen; color:Black" | Analogue/description
! style="background:Linen; color:Black" width="100px"| # of Schools*
|-
| Takmil ||[[Master's]] || 300
|-
| Fazilat|| [[Bachelor's]] || 200
|-
| Sanaria ammah || secondary || 1000
|-
| Mutawassitah || [[middle school|lower secondary]] || 2000
|-
| Ibtedayi || primary || 3000
|-
| Tahfeez ul Quran || memorisation of the [[Qur'an]] || 2000
|-
| colspan="3" style="text-align:left;" | *<small>Madrasahs are listed by highest level taught since some offer more than one level.</small>
|}

==Qawmi schools==
The following are some of the notable Qawmi [[madrasah]]s in Bangladesh:
*[https://iom.edu.bd/ Islamic Online Madrasah (IOM) — is the largest online madrasah in the Asia]
*[[File:Gawhardanga Madrasa.webp|thumb]][https://gawhardangaboard.com/?p=Home Befaqul Madarisil Qawmia Gawhardanga Bangladesh — is the Board Of Qawmi]
*[[Al-Jamiatul Arabia Kachemul Uloom Kazirhat Hifz Madrasah and Orphanage]] - also known as "Kazirhat Madrasah"
* [[Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam]] — also known as "Hathazari Madrasah"
* [[Jamia Islamia Yunusia, Brahmanbaria]] 
* [[Jamia sharyah seirajul ulum and nur shishosadan, Brahmanbaria]]
* [[Jamia Madania Angura Muhammedpur]] (Jamia Angura), [[Beanibazar]], Sylhet - Also known as Banglar Deobond. 
* [[Jamia Tawakkulia Renga Madrasah]] in [[Sylhet]]
* [[Jamiatul Uloom Al-Islamia Lalkhan Bazar]] — also known as "Lalkhan Bazar Madrasah"
* [[Jamia Qurania Arabia Lalbagh]]
* [[Al-Jamiah Al-Islamiah Patiya]]
* [[Al-Jamiatul Arabia Haildhar Madrasa|Al-Jamiatul Arabia Lil Banina Wal Banat]] — also known as "Haildhar Madrasah" is the first woman Qawmi Madrasah.
* [https://demo-madrasa.gqmbd.com Madrasa Management Software] for Full Web Base Qawmi Academy Management Software by [https://greenbangla21.com GreenBangla21]

==See also==
* [[Bangladesh Qawmi Madrasa Education Commission]]
* [[List of Qawmi Madrasas in Bangladesh]]
* [[Education in Bangladesh]]
* [[Islam in Bangladesh]]
* [[Religious education]]
* [[Charity school]]
* [[List of Islamic seminaries]]
* [[Bengali Muslims]]

==Footnotes==
{{NoteFoot}}
*{{note|A|a}} Bano (2008) seems to somewhat misquote Ahmed (2005), which is cited just before this note.
*{{note|B|b}} While two sources cited say there are about 4000 Qawmi madrasas, my editorial judgement based upon research is that the 4000 school figure is far too conservative; moreover, the 15,000 madrasah figure is 4 years newer.

==References==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name=mumtazahmad2004>Ahmad, Mumtaz. ''[http://www.globalwebpost.com/farooqm/study_res/bangladesh/mumtaz_madrassah.pdf Madrassa Education in Pakistan and Bangladesh] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711102248/http://www.globalwebpost.com/farooqm/study_res/bangladesh/mumtaz_madrassah.pdf |date=11 July 2011 }}.'' Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies: Honolulu. 2005.</ref>
<ref name=worldbank2009>Mohammad Niaz Asadullah, Nazmul Chaudhury, and Syed Rashed Al-Zayed Josh. ''[http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTDEVDIALOGUE/Resources/BangladeshMadrasaReportFinal.pdf Secondary School Madrasas in Bangladesh]''. The World Bank. Draft: 15 March 2009.''</ref>
<ref name=abdallajuly2004>Abdalla, Amr, et al. ''[http://www.beps.net/publications/BangladeshMadrasahStudyFINAL.pdf Pre-primary and Primary Madrasah Education in Bangladesh]''. United States Agency for International Development. July 2004</ref>
<ref name="dstar1">"[http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=82099 Qawmi madrasas under watch]." ''The Daily Star.'' Tuesday, 31 March 2009</ref>
<ref name=saminaahmed2005>Ahmed, Samina. ''[http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/publication-type/speeches/2005/testimony-of-samina-ahmed-to-us-senate-foreign-relations-committee.aspx Testimony of Samina Ahmed to U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303083724/http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/publication-type/speeches/2005/testimony-of-samina-ahmed-to-us-senate-foreign-relations-committee.aspx |date=3 March 2011 }}''. 19 April 2005.</ref>
<ref name=ellis2007>Ellis, Tiffany. [http://www.ipcs.org/pdf_file/issue/656053960IPCS-SpecialReport47-Tiffany.pdf Madrasas in Bangladesh] IPCS SPECIAL REPORT. No 47. August 2007.</ref>
<ref name="bano2008">Bano, Masooda. ''[http://epapers.bham.ac.uk/1548/1/Bano_StateMadrasaBangladesh.pdf Allowing for Diversity: State-Madrasa Relations in Bangladesh]''. Religions and Development, Working Paper 13. 2008.</ref>
<ref name=hossain2010>{{cite book |last=Siddiqi |first=ABM Saiful Islam |year=2012 |chapter=Madrasah |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Madrasah |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120404085633/http://yousufsultan.com/posts/darul-ulooms-worldwide-web-links-and-addresses/ List of Darul Ulooms, Jamiyas and Qawmy Madrasas Worldwide] compiled by Yousuf Sultan
{{Islamic educational institutions}}
<!---Note: this article is not under Category: Deobandi because not all Qawmi follow that model--->

[[Category:Qawmi madrasas of Bangladesh| ]]
[[Category:Deobandi madrasas]]
[[Category:School types]]
[[Category:Islamic terminology]]