September 19, 2003	Friday	Rajab 21, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 18: Minister for Education Zobaida Jalal has ruled out involvement of any foreign aid in the ongoing Rs1 billion project of streamlining Madressahs.

“All finances are purely indigenous and very much the approved money of the national exchequer,” the minister was quoted as saying in an official statement.

She said there were certain elements who were creating mistrust between the government and Madressahs. She urged upon religious scholars and the quarters concerned not to entertain such elements.

Commenting on the recruitment of teachers in Madressahs, Ms Jalal said recruitment would be made by the institutions concerned through a committee comprising representatives of education departments, Wafaqs and the institution concerned on contract basis.

The qualification criterion for teachers to be recruited would be SSC along with PTC for primary level, FA/FSc and CT for middle level, BA/BSc and BEd for secondary level and MA/MSc along with MEd for higher secondary level.

All teachers will be provided training in a 15-day workshop by the world’s renowned Muslim scholars and master trainers. A total of 32,000 teachers will be appointed in more than 8,000 Madressahs, she added.

Regarding the pay structure, the minister said at the primary level, 16,000 teachers would be given Rs3,000 per month in 4,000 Madressahs, 12,000 teachers would be given a salary of Rs4,000 per month at the secondary level in 3,000 Madressahs, and 4,000 teachers would be given Rs5,000 per month in the 1,000 Madressahs at a higher secondary school level.

She said in the coming years, salaries could be increased to Rs10,000 for the teachers of these Madressahs. She said all the representatives of Madressahs supported the government’s plan. She explained that even the students in the Madressahs were eagerly waiting for reforms to be introduced.

Ms Jalal said the ministry officials had already started visiting Madressahs to brief their students about the new reforms.