After Jamtara, the issue of converting multiple schools in Dumka, the hometown of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, has recently drawn attention. There are more than 33 of these schools, which are government-run yet only give Friday breaks rather than Sunday ones, it has been reported.
Following the example of schools being turned into Urdu schools in Jamtara, Jharkhand, it was discovered, according to a report by Hindustan, that there are more than 33 such schools in Dumka that have been converted into Urdu schools.
Additionally, it is indicated on their lunch menu that Friday is a holiday and that food is served there on Sundays. According to reports, the schools that were secretly converted to Urdu schools are situated in Muslim-dominated area.
Shikaripada has 10 Urdu schools, compared to two each in Jama, Jarmundi, Kathikund, and Dumka. Similar to Saraiyahat, Raneshwar has 7 Urdu schools and 8 in total.
Sanjay Kumar Das, the district superintendent of education, has stated that he has asked for reports on these changes to government schools from each block. It is being investigated how Urdu is tied to these institutions and under what conditions the weekly holiday on Friday is offered in government schools. Sanjay Kumar Das has said that after receiving the report, he will launch his own investigation and pursue those responsibly.
It is important to note that these improvements are found in government-run schools in Dumka rather than madrasas. In a letter to Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the Dumka MP detailed how more than 100 Muslim-dominated schools in the region receive a weekend break on Friday rather than a Sunday.
According to state education minister Jagarnath Mahto, he immediately communicated with the appropriate officials after learning of this information and asked for a report within a week. On the basis of this assumption, additional action will be taken and government orders will be put into effect.
It is important to note that only recently did a case from Jharkhand surface where the local Muslim population put pressure on a school to change its policy to accommodate their majority. The school prayer and its practices were changed as a result.
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