 In response to a petition from a retired Shia Islamic judge who ran a "Madhab" elementary school for orphans, al-Haytami issues a fatwa outlining a structure of "maktab" education that prevented any physical or economic exploitation of enrolled orphans.In the 11th century, the famous Persian Islamic philosopher and teacher, Ibn Sina (known as "Avicenna" in the West), in one of his books, wrote a chapter dealing with the "maktab" entitled "The Role of the Teacher in the Training and Upbringing of Children", as a guide to teachers working at "maktab" schools.He wrote that children can learn better if taught in classes instead of individual tuition from private tutors, and he gave a number of reasons for why this is the case, citing the value of competition and emulation among pupils as well as the usefulness of group discussions and debates.