COTABATO CITY—The Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education has opened the first of the Bangsamoro Region’s accredited madrasah (Islamic schools) that offers a curriculum for Arabic kindergarten (tahderiyyah) in the educational framework of the Islamic Studies and Arabic Language (ISAL) harmonized with the national curriculum.
Under this framework of a harmonized curriculum, the Bangsamoro youth is encouraged to seek knowledge and impart skills with relevance to human relations (muamalah) including culture, human activity and history, as well as their relations with God (aqeedah).
This was highlighted during the launch of the first-ever public madrasah in the region and the entire country, held at Barangay Balabaran in this city on July 26, the MBHTE said in a statement.
The harmonized curriculum is designed to foster the development of a “well-rounded” Moro learning community through holistic approach in a structured and balanced curriculum.
Bangsamoro Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal said the framework of “harmonized curriculum basically combines tahderiyyah for kindergarten, Islamic Studies and Arabic Language (ISAL), and the DepEd national curriculum.”
Iqbal said the MBHTE is firm at developing and establishing the public madrasah, adding that, in the midst of tough challenges, the Bangsamoro government has made significant strides towards balanced education.
“This is the first public madrasah not only here, but in the entire Philippines, courtesy of MBHTE and the Bangsamoro Government. We really want this to happen. That is not only in the mind but in the Administrative Code, and is also in the Education Code, providing the development and establishment of a public madrasah.” Iqbal said.
“Public madrasah means owned and funded by government. If you see that the public schools have division offices and then there are many schools more than thousands, that is our view of public madrasah,” he added.
The minister said that there will be schools division level under the harmonized madaris-national curricula framework, and a principal or head teacher will serve as administrator in every madrasah. Public madrasah school buildings are still being developed in structural terms.
As provided in the Bangsamoro Education Code of 2021, Section 3. Applicability: “This Act shall apply to the Bangsamoro Education System, consisting of all education systems including formal, non-formal, and informal, public and private learning institutions, at all levels: basic, higher, technical, and Madaris education.”
MBHTE-Madaris Education Director General Tahir Nalg the Bangsamoro Government through his office is firm at developing and establishing public madrasahs.
“Alhamdulillah, with the advent of BARMM, one of the focus areas is to strengthen the madaris education. The establishment of the Directorate-General for Madaris Education forms the center-core of that policy commitment on the part of the Bangsamoro Government,” said Nalg.
“It doesn’t end there. Many programs have been launched by our Honorable Minister in support of madaris education. Last week, we were in Metro Manila for a madrasa partners’ forum with national officials from the Department of Education (DepEd) to showcase how the madrasah educational system operates,” Nalg added.
The Madaris Director General noted that the forum was successful having been witnessed by diplomats, senators, members of Congress, and national government agencies, among others. (Majid Nur/BIO).
