The Upgrading of Confessional Education System in the Crimea in the Latter Half of the 19th -Early 20th Centuries
The article deals with the state of the confessional education system in the Crimea as part of the Russian Empire. Education in private and Waqf mektebs was based on the study of the Arabic language, the Quran and the Sunnah. In the early twentieth century, under the auspices of Ismail Gasprinsky, national intelligentsia modernized the confessional education system on usul and jedid (new method) principles. On the eve of the First World War, in all mektebs of the Crimea training was carried out in the new methodology. Education in the Crimean madrassah was undergoing significant changes. In accordance with the Program of Common Rules for the Crimean madrassah developed in 1906 by the Crimean Tatar intelligentsia, the madrassah building were to meet sanitary and hygienic standards. The madrassah had a common and separate kitchens. The teaching staff consisted of a muderis and his assistants. The teaching staff was to be approved by the Taurian Moslem Spiritual Ad-ministration (TMSA). In each classroom, the muderis appointed a senior, who saw to it that the students prepared their lessons and complied with the order, and the delinquent were reported to the muderis himself or his assistant. All madrassah introduced uniform requirements for training upon the program approved by the TMSA. The madrassah enrolled students not younger than 12 years, who had finished mekteb. At the end of their studies, madrassah graduates were issued certificates. Applicants to the madrassah were accepted without examinations. In the process of learning students were required to take exams with the permission of TMSA and submit their works to examiners. The results of the exams were recorded. The leading role in the upgrading of the confessional education system belonged to the jadids.