The Thai government is planning to run Islamic schools in the country’s southern regions, in order to try to stamp out the radicalism and terrorism that is coming from existing Islamic schools there.
But will Muslims accept these state-run schools? Who will determine their curricula? What will they teach about the Qur’an? Somehow I suspect this enterprise is doomed to fail.
From AFP, with thanks to Nicolei:
BANGKOK – The Thai government announced yesterday that it planned to set up state-run Islamic schools to try to stem separatist violence that has left more than 310 people dead this year.
The government has accused a small group of Islamic teachers at privately run traditional schools in the Muslim-majority south of stoking violence.
‘Teachers brainwash hardliners to keep up the violence in the south,’ said government spokesman Jakrapob Penkair.
He said the government would consult religious leaders in the south about the idea of setting up government-run religious schools, adding that the schools would be of a ‘high standard and closely supervised by the Education Ministry’.