5.

Strengthening for providing quality Education in Madrassas (SPQEM)

SPQEM seeks to bring about qualitative improvement in Madrasas to enable Muslim

children attain standards of the national education system in formal education subjects.
The salient features of SPQEM scheme are: -

i. To strengthen capacities in Madrasas for teaching of the formal curriculum subjects like
Science, Mathematics, Language, Social Studies etc. through enhanced payment of
teacher honorarium.
ii. Training of such teachers every two years in new pedagogical practices.
iii. Providing Science labs, Computer labs with annual maintenance costs in the
secondary and higher secondary stage madrasas.
iv. Provision of Science/Mathematics kits in primary/upper primary level madrassas.
v. Strengthening of libraries/book banks and providing teaching learning materials at all
levels of madrasas.
vi. The unique feature of this modified scheme is that it encourages linkage of Madrasas
with National Institute for Open Schooling (NIOS), as accredited centres for providing
formal education, which will enable children studying in such Madrasas to get
certification for class 5, 8, 10 and 12. This will enable them to transit to higher studies
and also ensure that quality standards akin to the national education system. Registration
& examination fees to the NIOS will be covered under this scheme as also the teaching
learning materials to be used.
vii. The NIOS linkage will be extended under this scheme for Vocational Education at the
secondary and higher secondary stage of Madrasas.
viii. For the monitoring and popularization of the scheme it will fund State Madrasa
Boards. GoI will itself run periodic evaluations, the first within two years.

Introduction:

National Policy on Education (NPE) has adopted the concept of national system of
education, implying that up to a certain level all students irrespective of caste, creed,
language or sex have access to education of comparable quality. The Policy lays special
emphasis on removal of disparities and equalizing educational opportunities by attending
to the specific needs of those who have remained educationally backward so far. Suitable
incentives therefore, have to be provided to educationally backward sections of the
society.

2. The National Policy on Education commits itself to provide all possible means for the
uplift of the educationally backward minorities. The children of the educationally
backward muslim minorities attend Maktabs/Madrasas/ Darul-Ulooms with very little
participation in the national mainstream education system. These institutions provide by
and large, religious teaching. In order to provide them with access to education in modern
subjects, the Central Government has been implementing the Area Intensive and Madrasa
Modernisation Scheme. The scheme as implemented during the X Plan had two
components, namely infrastructure support for educational institutions catering to
educationally backward population and introduction of modern subjects in traditional
institutions of Madrasas.

3. The National Monitoring Committee for Minorities Education (NMCME) was

constituted in 2004 to look into all aspects of education of minorities and suggest ways
and means to improve the conditions for educational empowerment of minorities and
visited several states and interacted with the leaders of the Muslim minority community,
educationists and Madrasa Managements. An Expert Committee of the NMCME was
constituted to give inputs for revising the programme of modernization of Madrasas and
submitted its report. The Expert Committee has suggested that Madrasas be provided a
linkage with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) to provide for certification
of academic levels, linkages with vocational education, improving the quality of
education in modern subjects, introduced teacher training, enhancement of teacher
salaries, strengthening of State Madrasa Boards for monitoring and raising awareness
about education programmes for the Muslim community.

4. The scheme for providing quality education in Madrasas has been recast after taking
into account the inputs of the Expert Committee of NMCME.

Budget Provisions:

5. An amount of Rs. 325 crore is proposed for the scheme as per budget provision made
by Planning Commission in the XIth Five Year Plan.

Objectives

6 (i) The objective of the Scheme is to encourage traditional institutions like Madrasas
and Maktabs by giving financial assistance to introduce science, mathematics, social
studies, Hindi and English in their curriculum so that academic proficiency for classes I-
XII is attainable for children studying in these institutions. However, the process of
modernization of traditional Madrasas and Maktabs will be voluntary.

(ii) The scheme will provide opportunities to students of these institutions to acquire
education comparable to the National Education System especially for secondary and
senior secondary levels. This will enable children studying in these institutions to
progress to higher levels of learning and also open up better job opportunities for them.
Maktaba/Madrasas/Dar-ul-Ulooms can opt to become accredited study centres with the
National Institutions of Open Schooling (NIOS) for primary and middle levels of
education or/and for secondary and senior secondary levels as well. Assistance would be
given to Maktabs, Madrasas and Dar-ul-Uloom for activities, which contribute to these
objectives.

(iii) The scheme also will seek to provide opportunities for vocational training for
children studying in Madrasas opting for assistance above 14 years of age, to enhance
their opportunities for entering the job market and encourage entrepreneurship.

(iv) The scheme will also strengthen State Madrasa Boards opting for assistance, by
enabling them to monitor the Madrasa modernization programme and enhance awareness
about education among the muslim community.

(v) The scheme will address in-service training of teachers appointed under the scheme,
for teaching modern subjects of science, mathematics, social studies, Hindi and English,
to improve their pedagogical skills.

Coverage:

7. The SQPEM is a demand driven scheme. The Scheme will endeavour to cover a total
of 4,500-6,000 Madrasas and provide honorarium to about 13,500-18,000 teachers in
Madrasas all over the country during the 11th Plan period. This will include Madrasas for
which recurring grant will be given in continuation and the new Madrasas covered. It is
expected that a total of about 7 lakh students of Madrasas will pursue modern education
in addition to their traditional education.

Components & Financial Pattern:

8. Financial assistance to Maktabs/Madrasas/Dar-ul-ulooms will cover the following

items:-
a) For appointment of teachers for teaching Science, Mathematics, Social Studies,
Languages, Computer Application and Science, subject to availability of a minimum of
ten students in each subject, each full time Graduate teacher will be paid salary for 12
months @ Rs.6000/-p.m. and post Graduate/B.Ed. Rs. 12000/- p.m. State
Governments/Madrasa Boards would ensure that larger Madrasas with higher student
enrolment recruit better qualified teachers.

b) For strengthening the libraries/book banks and providing teaching learning materials at
primary/middle/Secondary and senior secondary levels, one time assistance upto
Rs.50,000/-followed by an annual grant of Rs.5000/- will be provided to each Madrasa.

c) For purchase of Science kits, Maths kits, and other essential pedagogical equipment for
teaching modern subjects a grant upto a maximum amount of Rs.15000/- will be
provided.

d) Financial assistance will also be provided for establishment of Science/Computer

Labs/workshops in Madrasas at the Secondary/Senior Secondary levels upto a maximum
of Rs.100000 for each of the labs followed by an annual grant of Rs.5000 for
maintenance/ purchase of consumables.

e) Financial assistance will be provided for conducting in service teacher training

programmes for the teachers appointed under the scheme in Madrasas to upgrade their
pedagogical skills. Training will be arranged in groups by SCERTs/DIETs/BRCs etc. and
the funds for this purpose will be provided to the training institution through the State
Government. Rs. 100/- per day per teacher trainee for a maximum of 15 days training,
will be paid to the training institution to cover training expenses and TA/DA of the
trainee teacher.

f) Financial assistance will be provided to meet registration fees, examination fees

and cost of study materials supplied by the National Institute of Open Schooling
(NIOS) upto 100% for each student opting for study through NIOS at secondary
and senior secondary level.

g) Madrasas can also opt for vocational courses offered by NIOS after fulfilling norms &
standards set by NIOS. The registration fees would be met from the scheme as in (f)
above. There will be linkages of Madrasas with industry, ITIs set up by the Ministry of
Labour and Employment etc. which are in the vicinity, for use of workshops and for
promoting employment opportunities.

h) Financial assistance will be provided to State Madrasa Boards opting for assistance, to
strengthen their capacity to monitor the SPQEM, by providing recurring financial
assistance of Rs. 5.0 lakhs per year for each Madrasa Board. The assistance will be for
appointment of qualified & competent staff; computerization of office; office
equipments; research & evaluation; and awareness generation amongst the muslim
community for participation in education.
i) For purposes of publicity, monitoring & evaluation of the scheme at the level of
Government of India, a recurring grant upto a limit of Rs. 50 lakh per year, will be
provided.

Eligibility Conditions:

9. Madrasas which have been in existence atleast for three years and registered under
Central or State Government Acts or Madrasa Board or with Waqf Boards or NIOS shall
be eligible to apply for assistance under this programme.

10. All Madrasas opting to be covered by distance education mode and availing of
government grant will need to be accredited with the NIOS. Madrasas applying for
financial assistance under the scheme to the State Government would have to provide
documentary evidence of their affiliation/accreditation to the State Madrasa
Boards/NIOS. The Madrasa would for this purpose send an application for
accreditation/affiliation to NIOS. Once the Madrasa has been accredited by the NIOS, as
study centers the NIOS shall take thereafter, all necessary steps for conducting the
academic activities of the study centres in such Madrasas.

11. Training will be arranged in groups for Madrasa teachers appointed under the scheme
by SCERTs/DIETs/BRCs and the funds for this purpose will be provided to the training
institutions through the State Government. Submission of certificate for successful
completion of training duly signed by the representative of the training institution will
need to be maintained by the State Government and furnished to the Central Grant-in-aid
Committee annually.

12. Madrasas with respect to whom expenditure on account of honorarium of the teachers
is met by the State Government will not be eligible for salary component under the
scheme. However, such Madrasas will be eligible for financial assistance under other
components of the scheme.

13. Madrasas receiving financial assistance for teacher training, text books, computers,
science/ maths kits etc. from any other State/Central Scheme will not be eligible for that
component under this scheme.

Pattern Of Funding and other Conditions:

14. The Central Government will provide 100% funding for the scheme during the 11th
Plan.

15. The financial assistance will be given yearly under the scheme through the State
Governments/Union Territory Administrations in whose jurisdiction the institution is
situated.

16. Funds will be provided as per the norms of the scheme. Allocations under the scheme
are to be regarded as outer limits and actual releases should be in accordance with actual
beneficiaries. The Madrasas /State Madrasa Boards receiving assistance would be
required to furnish audited expenditure certificate in the format prescribed, duly certified
by the audit officer.

17. The grant will be admissible to only those organizations/institutions that submit
updated and certified statement of accounts showing each component separately, for the
grant-in-aid received in the previous year. No claim for recurring grants will be
admissible if such claim is not made within one year of the previous grant.

18. The records of accounts and activities of the organization will, on demand, be made
available for inspection by Central/State Government.

19. State Government and grantee institutions shall submit annual progress reports and
utilisation certificates and they shall be open to financial scrutiny and audit by the Central
Government, Controller General of Accounts (CGA) or Comptroller & Auditor General
or their nominee.

20. The Central Government shall inspect the grantee institutions at any time whenever
such an inspection is considered necessary.

Implementation and Monitoring:

21. The following procedure will be adopted:

i. The scheme will be implemented by the State Governments. All requests for financial
assistance shall, as a rule, be entertained by the State Government in the prescribed
Application Form at Annexure, Part I (Format I to IV) is for Madrasas, Part-III for
(Format-VI) for State Madrasa Boards seeking assistance under the scheme The State
Government shall forward their recommendations to the Govt. of India in Part-II (Format
V) for Madrasas and in para-8 of Part-III In respect of State Madrasa Boards seeking
assistance under the scheme..
ii. To scrutinize and recommend the proposal under the scheme, the States/UTs shall
constitute a State level Grant-in-Aid Committee under the chairmanship of the Secretary
of the relevant Department and include a nominee of MHRD on it.
iii. On receipt of proposals from the State Government, the Grant-in-Aid Committee
setup in the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India will consider the
same on merit and accord approval.
iv. The Central Grant-in-Aid Committee will have the following composition: Secretary,
Department of SE&L, Chairman, Joint Secretary, Department of SE&L, Member
Secretary, Financial Advisor MHRD, One/Two representatives from Madrasas Education
Management/Boards, one eminent educationist, representatives of the Ministry of Home
Affairs (Policy & Planning), the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the State Government
concerned whose proposals are listed in the agenda.
v. The Government of India and the State Government/UT administration will monitor
and evaluate the scheme. The feed back on the number of students appearing in National
Open School and qualitative improvement in their achievements will be collected by the
State Govt./UT Administration/Madrasa Board and placed before the Central Grant-in-
Aid Committee. The Central Grantin- aid Committee will organize reviews & evaluations
on the progress of the scheme as appropriate. An independent & in-depth evaluation of
the scheme will be conducted after two years of implementation.

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