Reactions Raise Over Plan of Appointing Religious Scholars in Schools

The Ministry of Education’s plan of appointing religious scholars as teachers in schools has sparked strong reactions of the Senate House’s religious, cultural and higher education committee.

The Deputy Head of the committee Lailma Ahmadi said that appointing religious ulama in schools is a “failed” plan. She stressed that the religious scholars do not have professional experience and that the plan will seriously challenge the education process in the country.

“Education sector needs to be adjusted with advanced systems,” she said.  

According to the Education Ministry, the plan still under process and it will be implemented in rural areas of the country where it gets less number of school graduates. The religious scholars would improve primary level students’ literacy and learning skills. 

“Education Ministry should appoint those people who have teaching skills and religious scholars should teach in madrassas,” said a school teacher Sohaila Hakimi.

“Based on my experience in the education sector of the country and with respect to all religious scholars, I must say that the religious scholars don’t have teaching skills in schools,” said another school teacher Shah Chaman Jawadi.

“This plan of Education Ministry is a failed plan and it should be reconsidered, otherwise, it will harm the education sector,” he added.

Some teachers, meanwhile, said that the Education Ministry has so far failed to hire those in schools as teachers who have higher education, adding that lack of professional teachers in schools is a serious challenge in the country that needs to be addressed.