Rohingyas depend on madrassa to learnhome/News/World/Rohingyas depend on madrassa to learnKUTUPALONG, Bangladesh: Half a million refugee Rohingya children are shut out of local schools in Bangladesh, leaving many in religious madrassas where critics say educational standards are low and students are vulnerable to indoctrination. Around 740,000 Muslim Rohingya fled into the country during a 2017 crackdown by Myanmar’s military, swelling the numbers of the minority in Bangladesh to around a million. Lucky Akter, 15, lost her spot at Hnila village school, where almost a third of her class were from refugee camps. “I wanted to be a doctor, but I don’t think it will be possible,” she told AFP, breaking down in tears. To fill the gap, Rohingya groups and Bangladeshi Islamists have set up more than 1,000 madrassas — religious schools that provide everything from basic Koran-based education to graduate-level religious studies.

Source: Manila Times June 18, 2019 16:20 UTC