Ansari Adil, 19, scored 51 % in the Maharastra state HSC examinations. He has to forgo his admission in B.Sc (Computer Science), as his parents were not in a position to pay Rs 14,550 as fees.
Qazi Anam, 18, scored 56% in the Maharastra state HSC examinations, but cancelled her admission in Bachelor in Mass Media (BMM) and decided to stop studying further as she could not arrange for Rs 12,035 fees. Her father expired last year.
Kalave Masab scored 42 % in the Maharastra state HSC examinations, dropped out as his father is bedridden and the family could not afford education. They approached two Muslim social and welfare organisations for financial assistance, but both refused.
These are the few cases of Muslim students who dropped out of education as their family could not afford fees. All three and many like them approached various Muslim social and welfare organizations, but were refused educational aid on the ground of poor marks scored.
Qazi Anam scored 86% in the SSC examination. Because her father suffered from heart ailment and needed hospitalization she could not focus on studies. A brilliant student was reduced to second grade because of her circumstances. Should she be refused financial assistance to pursue higher education?
Qazi Anam approached atleast four Muslim social and welfare organisations for financial assistance. Not even one gave her an application form or even a patient hearing. “All the organisations I approached told me that I am not eligible as I don’t have good marks. Hence my mother asked me to work instead of studying”.
Ansari Adil’s father Nasir, is a watchman in a school. With great difficulty he managed to educate his three children. Adil is the eldest in the family. “I had high hopes from Adil, that he will be able to study computer science and find a decent employment so that he will be in the position to support the family. But now my dream is shattered as not a single organization is willing to support Adil because of his low marks,” said Nasir.
Kalave Masab’s, mother Rehana is the only bread winner of the family as his father is bedridden since two years. Rehana worked as a domestic help and could not afford higher education fees. Masab is now working as a porter at the domestic airport.
Who deserves financial aid? Do only academically intelligent students deserve financial aid from the community? Why Muslim students who have not scored good marks deserve financial assistance? Don’t they deserve a helping hand to come up in life?
When confronted with these issuse most of the office bearers of the Muslim social and welfare organisations argued that they have limited funds and they have decided to consider percentage in examination as the parameters for disbursement of the financial aid.
Then who is going to support poor Muslim students who have scored less marks in their exam? Ironically most of the poor Muslim students are first generation learners, who cannot afford the professional coaching, hence they lag behind. In fact they need all the support as they are trying to come out of the clutches of poverty.
Unfortunately many Muslim social and welfare organisations treat them as untouchables and even refuse to give them proper hearing. They are out rightly rejected and many cases have been reported where these students with poor marks are discouraged to study further arguing that they are unfit to study further.
The Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) this year tried to fill in the vacuum by launching financial schemes for the deprived section of society. But it’s conditional. Every applicant has to appear for basic Islamic knowledge test. In a way it will help poor students and fill in a part of the vacuum. Atleast a start has been made and poor Muslim students with low marks have atleast one source in the form of IRF.
One of the options which Muslim educational institutes must provide to these poor Muslim students is the facility of paying fees in easy installments. Majority of the Muslim educational institutes demand full fees payment during admission which leaves no options for the poor students, but to drop out.
Another measure which can alleviate the suffering of poor Muslim students is by helping them get part time jobs which will finance their education. None of the educational institutes in India help poor students to get part time jobs to finance their fees. In fact most of the educational institutes and universities in western countries help students to get part time employment so that they earn and pay their own fees.
Muslims cannot progress unless and until it opens its heart to poor Muslim students even though they may have not scored good marks. They cannot be left to fend for themselves. (The writer can be reached at mhl@rediffmail.com)