Khalwa (school)

For other uses, see Khalwa.

three young brown-skinned boys sit or kneel on a green patterned carpet against a plastered wall. They each hold a flat piece of wood about half their size. The pieces of wood are straight on 3 sides but curved at the top, with Arabic writing.
Khalwa pupils in Mauritania holding wooden tablets

A Khalwa or al-Khalwa (listenⓘ; Arabic: الخلوة; plural Khalawi) is an elementary Quranic school in Sudan, where children study and memorise the Quran, learn Arabic, and study Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh). The khalwa has an important and fundamental role in the history of children’s education in Sudan, due to the former dominance of Sufism in the country, with the term "khalwa" derived from the Khalwati order of Sufism. While the khalwa provides free meals, drinks, and accommodation, and has been considered integral in addressing illiteracy; investigative reports have revealed that some of these institutions have been involved in child abuse practices, including sexual assault,[1][2] corporal punishment,[3] torture and forced labour.[4]

The khalwa is similar to the Kuttab in Egypt, and Pesantren in Indonesia.[5] It is also called Mhdra [ar] in Mauritania,[6] Daara in Senegal, and Almajiranci in Nigeria.[7]

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