 In that direction, necessary steps are being taken to raise the standards of Muslim schools, while for the Arabic colleges in Sri Lanka; a common syllabus and lesson plans are already being implemented.The idea of a Maktab is not a new one for Sri Lanka.As far back as 1969, the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, Ceylon in its publication “A Centenary Volume of Education in Ceylon – 1969” carries an article by Dr. A. M. A. Azeez on 'The Muslim Philosophy of Education' in which he explains the Islamic elementary education system, the 'Maktab'.