Integration of Madrassh Islamic Seminary Education With Formal Education System in Pakistan: Challenges and Opportunities

ABSTRACT: Extremism remains the main concern for global security after 9/11 event. Western countries consider the religious intolerance in Muslim countries as a source of prevailing extremism. Pakistani Madaris (seminaries) are considered as a place for indoctrination of extremism and intolerance. The questions need to be addressed that why and how religious students tended towards extremism. The evidence shows that in Pukhtoon Society; the traditional social institutions of Hujra (Community center) and Jumaat (Mosque) relationship is also affected in post Afghan Soviet war. Hujra (Pukhtoon Community centre) which is traditionally the main supporter and financer of Jumaat (Mosquereligious institution) ; now seems to be overpowered by the religious institutions after getting trained and motivated organized Taliban (students of Indigenous Islamic Education System) and financial freedom after Afghan Soviet war. In this paper the question of legal status given to Taliban and their education status by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is discussed. For exploring to answer this question both primary and secondary sources of data are used. The study concluded that no properly defined legal status exists for the millions of Taliban graduates in the state; and the aspired streamlining efforts of Madaris with formal education are non productive and ineffective. Even the supreme court of Pakistan is unanswered about the legal status of these graduates. Legislators elected in 2002 National Election faced cases in Supreme Court of Pakistan of their ineligibility based on the in¬ equivalency of their Madaris Sanad (Degree) to the formal University Degree of Pakistan. Government of Pakistan tried to mainstream Madaris education with formal education system of Pakistan, through changing their curricula which is all time resisted by Madaris. It is concluded at the end of the study of integrating Madaris education with formal education system in vertical arrangement rather than in horizontal or lateral arrangement (change of curriculum and amalgamation of courses etc.) . The approach of Vertical arrangement acknowledge the importance and value of both systems and provide benefits to the stakeholders in large. Different modalities are discussed in this paper.

Oil Discovery in Uganda and its Impacts on Poverty and Inequality: A Computable General Equilibrium Model Analysis

Discovery of natural resources like oil in developing countries has mixed impacts on the economy. At best, it is positive, at worst negative and in the middle, insignificant or none at all. Such mix up in the impacts has been explained empirically in terms of technical challenges in fiscal, monetary and other decisions. Utilizing a Computable General Equilibrium model and the Uganda Social Accounting Matrix 2007, this study attempts to establish the possible impact of the country’s oil on households. Three simulations are performed on production, absorption and export of oil. Thereafter, the results are analyzed using Distributive Analysis Statistical Package (DASP) software to establish their effects on households’ poverty, inequality and welfare. Generally, the simulations show that the discovery reduces both poverty and inequality. Specifically, in comparison to the baseline simulation, oil production, absorption and exports reduces absolute poverty, poverty gaps and severity. Further, the simulation results show that production, absorption and export reduce the Gini coefficient, implying a reduction in inequality. Other measures of inequality, notably Thiel L, T and S produce similar results and conclusions across simulations like that of the first measure. In the context of welfare, we note that the Hoover Index, and other welfare measures such as HI, TL and TT show significant changes. These measures show an improvement in households’ welfare for production, absorption and exports. The equivalent variation of individual households shows a positive effect on welfare except the urban farm households. By and large, the findings confirm the spillover effects of oil on all sectors of the economy with the exception of manufacturing and services. Further, we observe a positive impact of all the simulations on GDP, calculated by expenditures approach, exports, imports and private consumption; whereas a negative effect is noted for GDP, calculated by income and output approach, investment, government surplus and balance of payment position. This study recommends the managers of the economy to pay special attention to inject a reasonable portion of oil rent in those sectors which positively contribute to the economy, diversify the non-oil exports and above all boost private consumption.