The education department has announced the release of $160,000 for the accreditation and inclusion of madrasas in the southern Philippines into the country's education system, starting this year, said a senior government official.

"The mainstreaming of the madrasa education system is in line with the government's priority programme on education," said Presidential Assistant for Education, Mona Dumlao Valisno.

It is also part of the implementation of the government-Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) peace settlement in 1996.

World Bank Senior Rural Development Specialist Richard Anson has committed financial support to the programme, making its immediate implementation possible. Anson recently met Valisno and Mahid Mutilan, Vice-Governor and Education Secretary for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, with regard to the implementation of the project.

The amount will be used for curriculum review and development, teacher training and institutional reform.

The next part of the project will include improvement of school buildings, classrooms, desks, water, toilet facilities, purchase of books, facilities and other needs of madrasas in Mindanao.

The programme includes the upgrading of the madrasa education system, to make it compatible with the country's curriculum on formal education.

Under the programme, the Islamic schools will teach other subjects such as Philippines history, the Filipino language, English and Information Technology.

"It has been very hard to convince madrasa operators to accept the government's offer to incorporate the Islamic education system into the national education system," said Mutilan.

"The graduates of madrasas will soon be globally competitive," said Valisno. The education department and the commission on higher education will also accredit madrasas.

This will allow them access to privileges being enjoyed by other schools under the national education system.

The World Bank fund will be channeled through the president's social fund for the implementation of the project.

Madrasas comprise 13 to 14 per cent of the total school population in Mindanao. They are privately owned and with no government supervision and recognition.

Often, a Muslim religious leader runs a madrasa. The madrasa education system focuses on teaching Arabic and Islamic studies.