Neglected seminaries

Another child’s life has been lost in the corridors of a seminary — a place that should nurture, but instead became a site of unimaginable brutality. The tragic death of five-year-old in Gujrat district of Punjab, allegedly at the hands of his teacher and accomplices, is not an isolated case. Only months earlier, a similar incident in Swat valley of K-P saw a minor beaten to death by seminary staff. Both incidents triggered outrage, arrests and promises of accountability. But there is still no talk of the fact that religious seminaries, home to millions of poor children, remain an education system abandoned by meaningful oversight and reform.

For decades, madrassas have filled the gap left by the state’s failure to provide universal education. In rural areas and among impoverished families, they are often the only option. Parents send their children there not only to acquire religious learning but also because seminaries provide food and shelter. However, this dependence has allowed a parallel education system to grow unchecked, one in which vulnerable children are left at the mercy of unqualified teachers and almost non-existent regulatory mechanisms, in many cases. The government has made occasional attempts at reform, but these have largely remained cosmetic.

Moreover, these tragedies raise a moral question: why is violence so deeply entrenched in the pedagogy of many seminaries? Corporal punishment, despite being outlawed, continues with impunity. The absence of teacher training and accountability mechanisms allows abusive behaviour to persist. The state must enforce a no-tolerance policy towards such abuse. Strong deterrence measures — from strict monitoring to exemplary punishment for violators — are needed to signal that violence in the name of discipline will not be excused.

Reforming these institutions is not about undermining religious education, but about ensuring that children learn in safe environments. The country’s poorest children cannot be abandoned to an unsafe and unregulated system.