Doudale
Doudale or Hawzeh doudale are Irfanic boarding schools in Bahia, primarily concentrated in the Boual ka Bifie region and in areas culturally influenced by the Ndjarendie. They consist of boarding rooms, common rooms for learning called Lémuné, and shared cropfields. Though similar institutions exist throughout the Irfanic world, the Doudale's importance as a site of communal religious living has been especially influential in the history of the region. In the Doudale, students, referred to as badiraou (nephews) learn the sacred texts and laws of Irfan, mysticism, as well as traditional Ndjarendie poetry, history, rhetoric, and basic mathematics. Despite efforts by the Mabifian Democratic Republic to close Doudale and move students to secular schooling, the system has proven extremely resilient and remains a key part of Mabifia's education system. Recently, the government has moved to encourage Doudale as a way of furthering Irfan and basic education in rural areas.
Description
The origins of Doudale lie within the origins of Irfan in Bahia. The first teachers of the religion were travellers who came with Rahelian merchants to trade. Several of these mystics began to attract followers from the towns they visited and were forced to flee. They would set up their own communities, often offering free education to students who came, and became self sufficient to avoid needing to beg. This independence allowed the Doudales to function independently of state control, and when the region became dominated by Irfan it was a means of securing their importance. Students therefore learn a complete austere way of life, learning through recitation after dawn prayers then working in the fields for the morning. Students also drill in martial arts such as archery and Inchema, a holdover from their history when Doudale were attacked, as it is believed that this lifestyle gives the students the best values.
Each Doudale is managed by a single leader, called an Ustad, and larger Doudale will also have several of their older students teaching. Female Ustada have historically been important in some Doudale, but are becoming more rare with influences from Zorasan. Students learn a curriculum of religious education, physical education, rhetoric, and basic mathematics. This has been criticised by secularists, as the system is not balanced.
The core strength of Doudale has historically been their low cost, making education available for the poor people in rural areas who were unable to send their children to colonial lycée normale. Fees and housing are free, with the students instead working to help provide food for consumption and sale. The Mabifian government is currently working with scholars to try to introduce a standard curriculum to Doudale, to help expand literacy and give more funding to limit accusations of slavery in some Doudale.
Criticism
The Doudale system is often criticised for its variability. As each Doudale is managed by a single teacher, there is not a standardised curriculum and the quality of education can vary. Certain Ustads have been accused of child abuse either through physical or sexual violence, and it is feared that by the nature of the schools this often goes unreported.
Since the rise of Irfanism as a political ideology, northern scholars have increasingly expressed fears that Doudale could be used by Zorasan as a vehicle for expanding their influence in Bahia.