CHINIOT: The local education department sealed two private schools on Friday for not imparting compulsory Holy Quran education to the students as judges have begun monitoring of the private as well as public education institutes in this regard on the directions of the Lahore High Court chief Justice.

On the orders of the LHC CJ, the district and sessions judge has deputed three subordinate judges each in as many tehsils of the district to monitor the compulsory Quranic education in the public and private schools.

Judges also begin monitoring educational institutes

The judges who have been assigned this duty -- ADSJ Naeem Amir, ADSJ Saad suleman and Senior Civil Judge Ghulm Mustafa -- visited the schools in Chiniot tehsil and inspected imparting of Nazra Quran (reading) to the primary classes and with translation to higher classes in the schools.

Similarly, civil judges Ghulam Mustafa Yazadani, Aman Ullah Bhatti and Sajid Yaqoob visited schools in Bhowana tehsil while civil judges Muhammad Asif, Asif Iqbal and Muhammad Afzal in Lalian tehsil.

According to the instructions of the school education department, the students of Grade-1 are taught Qurani Quaida and last four Suras of the Holy Quran, while the Grade-2 students were taught Para No1 and 2. Grade 3 students will learn Paras 4 to 8, Grade 4 Para 9-17 and Grade-5 students will learn Para-19-30.

The students of Grade-6 onward will be taught the Holy Quran with translation.

The Education Chief Executive Officer Zafar Rehan has directed all the private and public schools to impart the Quranic education or face the consequences.

The assistant education officers (AEO) in the district have also sped up visits of schools to implement the order.

During his visit to Markaz-42, AEO Mr Kashif sealed two schools -- Basic International School in Chiniot city and Masoomeen School in Rajoa Sadat village, for not imparting the Qurani education. The school owners were also issued show-cause notices and warned of cancellation of their registration.

Meanwhile, the Private Schools Owners Association president Saleem Akhtar Gloter has expressed concern over the sealing of schools without issuing any prior notices to them in this regard.

Talking to the media, he said: “We all are Muslims and obliged to impart Quranic education, but the education department should issue notices to the defaulting schools before taking extreme step of sealing the schools”.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2021