DAR AL ISLAM - BOTSWANA: SEPARATE CLASSES FOR INFIDELS AND MOSLEMS

Al-Nur defends separate classes for Muslims
CHANDAPIWA BAPUTAKI
STAFF WRITER

The principal of Al-Nur English Medium School, Majid Khan, has defended the separation of Muslim and non-Muslim learners at the institution. He denied that the recent decision to introduce a timetable that separates non-Muslim from Muslim learners was driven by religious reasons.

He explained that the move is informed by the choice of subjects by primary school pupils and secondary school students. Under the new school timetable, Muslims would undergo Islamic teaching in the morning when other learners take secular subjects from Monday to Thursday. In the afternoon session, the Muslims will be taught secular subjects while the rest of the learners go home.

Khan was responding to a questionnaire after it was alleged that the new system separates learners taking Islamic subjects in the morning and those not taking the subjects. It was alleged that the learners not taking the Islamic subjects would knock off early while those taking Islamic would be engaged in the afternoon during the secular subjects which they would not otherwise have had time to take in the morning. The question was whether or not the learners benefited equally or a certain group was given more preference over the other.

"It is important to emphasise that we do not have a Muslim and non- Muslim syllabus. What we have is a global syllabus in terms of which Muslim and non-Muslim learners may elect to take subjects offered," Khan said. He explained that the two-stream timetable should be seen in the context of allowing for the simultaneous teaching of Islamic and secular subjects.

"The reason for the introduction of the two-stream system was to give due consideration to our non-Muslim students whose numbers have grown considerably since last year and now stands at 50 percent in the secondary division," Khan stated.

He asserted that in the past, the arrival and departure times of the non-Muslims were the same as those of Muslims. The current system allows for better time management and more constructive usage of time, the school principal said.

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Botswana:

Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. Four decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created one of the most dynamic economies in Africa. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining, dominates economic activity, though tourism is a growing sector due to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature preserves. Botswana has one of the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.

Christian 71.6%,
Badimo 6%,
other 1.4%,
unspecified 0.4%,
none 20.6% (2001 census)

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