This study aimed to explore the perception of BRAC graduates studying in Class 9 Madrassa on some social and cultural issues. The study reveals that the majority of BRAC graduates who studied in both madrasas and high schools had a progressive perception of most issues. BRAC graduates who studied in a Madrassa had a more advanced understanding of most questions compared to non-BRAC students who studied in a Madrassa.
Non-BRAC students who attended secondary schools had a more progressive view of the issues compared to the other three groups. However, BEP management would like to know how the BRAC graduates studying in Dakhil Madrassah feel about a number of selected social and cultural issues. However, the perceptions have been compared between the BRAC graduates studying in high school and non-BRAC students studying in Dakhil Madrassah and high school.
The study aimed to explore the perception of BRAC graduates studying in Dakhil Madrassah on some selected social and cultural issues. Sample population and sampling procedure: The madrassas and schools were selected purposively based on the availability of BRAC candidates studying in class IX. The BRAC candidates studying in the same class in high school, the non-BRAC students studying in the same class in Dakhil Madrassahs and in high schools were chosen as control groups.
It should be mentioned here that the mothers of the non-BRAC students attending high school are not included to save time and money.
FINDINGS
Socioeconomic background of the respondents
The assumption is supported by the data showing that most of the parents of non-BRAC students studying in the Madrasa were more regular in prayer compared to the parents of ex-BRAC students. Interestingly, parents of non-BRAC students studying in high school prayed more regularly compared to parents of BRAC graduates studying in Madrassa. Status of Students in Keeping Purdha and Prayer: An attempt was made to assess the extent to which the selected students used veil (curtain or Burkha) in keeping purdha while going outside their homes and how many of them prayed.
Appendix Table 1 shows that 17 out of 44 BRAC graduates studying in Madrassah regularly used veil to maintain purdha and 23 of the same group covered their heads with scabbard. On the other hand, only 3 out of 44 BRAC graduates who studied in high school used veil and 9 of the same group covered their heads with scabbard. Similarly, more than half (23 of 44) of the non-BRAC students studying in Madrassah used veil to maintain purdha and 20 of the remaining covered their heads.
An interesting finding was that 9 out of 44 non-BRAC students studying in high school used veils to wear purdahs and 24 of them used skorf. The remaining 11 students of the same group did not wear a purdah which was three times lower than BRAC graduates studying in high school who did not wear a purdah using a veil or skorf.
Perception of the students and their mothers on selected issues
On this issue, 9 out of 44 BRAC graduates and 16 out of 44 non-BRAC students studying in Madrassah were negative. On the same issue, 5 out of 34 mothers of the non-BRAC students studying in Madrassah had a negative view. Similarly, about half (21 out of 44) of non-BRAC students studying in high school and most (42 out of 44) non-BRAC students studying in Madrassah, respectively, had a similar picture.
Regarding the question, 36 out of 44 and almost all non-BRAC students studying in Madrassah and High School respectively had a similar view. 32 out of 44 and almost all non-BRAC students studying in Madrassah and High School respectively perceived a similar view. About half (15 of 32) of the mothers of BRAC graduates studying in Madrassah, about one-third (12 of 33) of mothers of BRAC graduates studying in high school, and half of the mothers (15 of 34) of non-BRAC students studying in Madrassah had similar opinion.
In response, almost all BRAC graduates studying in Madrassah and in high school perceived that women could become members of village organizations. Similarly, almost all and the majority (29 out of 44) of the non-BRAC students studying in High School and Madrassah, respectively, held a similar view. Most mothers (29 out of 32) of the BRAC graduates studying in Madrassah and almost all the mothers of the BRAC graduates studying in High School and the majority (24 out of 34) mothers of the non-BRAC students studying in the Madrassah, expressed similar opinion.
Data shows that about half (21 out of 44) of BRAC graduates studying in Madrassah and some (7 out of 44) BRAC graduates studying in high school preferred religious education for boys. Among the non-BRAC students, most of them (39 of 44) studying in Madrassah and a few of them (4 of 44) studying in high school respectively preferred religious education for boys. On the other hand, most of the BRAC graduates (42 out of 44) studying in Madrassah and more than half of them (24 out of 44) studying in high school preferred religious education for girls.
The rest of the non-BRAC students (30) studying in high school preferred regular education for girls. Some of the BRAC graduates (4) and non-BRAC students (7) studying in high school preferred technical education for boys. Most of the BRAC candidates studying in both Madrassah and High School and the non-BRAC students studying in High School felt that they had no objection to family planning methods.
On the other hand, some non-BRAC students (11 out of 44) studying in the Madrasa thought otherwise. Most mothers (27 out of 31) of BRAC graduates studying in Madrasa and almost all mothers of BRAC graduates studying in high school and most mothers (25 out of 34) of non-BRAC students studying in Madrasa expressed similar views. Among non-BRAC students, 37 out of 44 studying in Madrasa and almost all students studying in high school thought the same.
Although non-BRAC students studying in high school had progressive perception on most issues, it was more backward among non-BRAC students studying in Madrasa.
Issues related to humanity
Ex-student of BRAC Non-BRAC student Madrasa High School Madrasa Should women become members of village organizations.
