THIS is regarding the ongoing controversy about the regulatory affairs of seminaries in the country. It is being argued that seminaries should not be registered under the Ministry of Education, which has failed to deliver much, and that many government schools are being adopted by various non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

The point is that if the education system has failed, it is not the sole responsibility of the ministry. There are many educational institutions that do not fall under the said ministry, as they are managed and run by their own respective administrations and boards.

These include all the institutions that are run by the armed forces, cadet colleges and other elite institutions in the private sector.

A simple way out of the current crisis would be to set up a separate board of governors for all the seminaries that may function under the Ministry of Religious Affairs, or registered as an institution under the Societies Registration Act 1860.

Khayyam Durrani
Karachi

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2024