Human rights dimensions and madrasa education: an overlooked perspective : the case of Pakistan

Abstract

Madrasas in Pakistan came under the limelight after 9/11 terror attacks. Since then, the scholarly work on the madrasas only focus on the security, while the human rights dimension is overlooked. Filling the gap, this study evaluates the Pakistani madrasas under the guidelines provided by the right to education and especially the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The first part of this research lays down the international legal framework on the right to education, devise the quality dimension under the CRC and its General Comments, and contends the right to religious freedom is not absolute. The second chapter increases the familiarity with madrasa history, the types of madrasas in Pakistan, provides the example of madrasa in other states and concludes by providing ‘scholarly conflict’ on madrasa existing in literature. The third chapter is based on the field research observation-both primary and secondary sources have been utilised. The chapter assesses the madrasas under the guidelines of human right to education . The last and fourth chapter concludes this research by assessing if Pakistan has complied to its obligations under the right to education and concludes by providing recommendations.