WASHINGTON, March 9 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Pakistan's Education Minister Zobaida Jalal wrapped up a visit to Washington Friday to press home President Pervez Musharraf's desire to secularize schooling amid international concern over the role of Islamic madrassa schools, news agencies reported.

Jalal met an unusually high ranking array of officials for an education minister during her visit, including National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, First Lady Laura Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell, Pakistani diplomats said, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

That reflected the Pakistani view that education in the country, a key frontline ally in the U.S. campaign against terrorism, was a national security issue, the diplomats said.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf stressed repeatedly during his visit to Washington last month that reforming education was vital for Pakistan, and a chunk of the millions of dollars of U.S. aid recently granted to Islamabad will be devoted to the reform effort.

U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the visit was evidence of a U.S. desire to "support the changes and reforms that President Musharraf announced, in moving Pakistan toward a more modern and moderate course, where education plays a very key role," adding that madrassas were likely to be a key topic of conversation.

U.S. First Lady, Laura Bush has assured sustained support for Pakistan's education sector and the government initiatives to expand the educational network across the country, reported Pakistani newspaper, The International News. 

During a meeting with Jalal at the White House, the U.S. First Lady discussed education initiatives with her and shared her personal commitment to the cause of education in Pakistan. 

In December, the Pakistani government said it was preparing a comprehensive policy to register over 6,500 religious schools and to bring these into the mainstream educational system.

An official told Pakistani daily newspaper, Dawn, that "the strategy is being prepared and will be announced by President Gen Pervez Musharraf once it is finalized and approved."

The paper said that Musharraf seeks to take care of "extremism" which the government claims is being harbored in these schools

An official study of these Madaris showed that over 600,000 students were enrolled in these schools. It was decided that audit of all the foreign-funded religious schools be carried out and a mechanism be evolved to keep track of funds being received from foreign sources.

"Syllabi of these schools would be reviewed and a component of conventional subjects including Mathematics and English would also be introduced so that students of these schools could be gainfully employed after graduation" said the Dawn.

In January, Dawn, reported that the U.S. Department of Labor will provide $5 million for an education initiative for the child labor program in the current fiscal year with a possible additional funding in subsequent years.

An agreement was signed between the U.S. Department of Labor and the Federal Ministry of Education on an education initiative for the child labor program in three districts of Punjab.

Jalal and Thomas Moorhead, the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, signed the agreement. The Ministry of Education will coordinate its activities under the agreement with relevant ministries and civil organizations/NGOs.

Madrassa schools have been accused by the U.S., especially since the September 11 deadly attacks, of brainwashing impressionable young students. Under Musharraf's crackdown, madrassas have been asked to register with the government and provide information, including their main sources of funds, the names and addresses of prayer leaders and the number of students.

Pakistan has more than 10,000 madrassas, which provide free education, food and board to poor children whose parents cannot afford to pay fees at state schools.

Some of them are run by Islamic leaders with alleged links to groups such as the Taliban militia in Afghanistan and militant activists fighting against Indian rule in the Muslim-majority Himalayan state of Kashmir.