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View from Hazelmere
By A Staff Writer
Spread over 38 acres of land, the Verulam Islamic Institute enrolls young girls from all over South Africa with the intention of breaking tribal, national and linguistic barriers.
The Masakhane Girls Secondary School, known as Verulam Islamic Institute (VII) is located in Hazelmere, 5 kms from Verulam. Verulam is 30 kms from Durban. The Institute lies in a 38 acre land, surrounded from three sides by a river sloping down Hazelmare Dam, making the area a peninsula.
The vision of establishing Masakhane Girls School/Verulam Islamic Institute is to lay the foundation of a moral society, well disciplined educated future mothers who would shoulder their tasks with responsibility and accountability along lines of the teachings of Islam. Students with Islamic discipline portray much responsibility and good conduct in their interaction with others, academically and socially. This is part of the level of respect parents experience from their children when they are back home on holidays. This is overtly expressed by parents and officials from the Department of Education.
It was viewed that enrolment should include young girls from all over South Africa and the Southern African region, with the intention of breaking tribal, national and linguistic barriers, thus laying the foundation of the new Ummah. Being Muslim is not a condition for enrolment. But many non-Muslim parents insist their children become Muslims for the above mentioned reason.
The high school level is registered with the Department of Education, starting with grades 8 to 12. Islamic studies, Arabic language and Qura’n are also integrated into the system without affecting the period of time allocated for academic subjects by the Department of Education. The fact that learners stay in the boarding, has contributed positively towards this state of affairs.
For lack of space, the grade 10, 11 and 12 students are sent to a nearby government school where they write their final exams along with the rest of their peers countrywide. This arrangement is meant to be temporary until the proper infrastructure is secured. Those who managed to find their way to higher education (tertiary and university) would still be sponsored and looked after by the Institute.
Full Time Islamic Studies
The study duration is 1 year, broken up into 2 phases. Each phase is 6 months. At the end of the one year course, learners with matric certificates will be sent to tertiary education or qualify as Mualimas (Quranic school teachers). The Islamic Studies syllabus includes, besides Islamic studies, Arabic language, methodology of teaching computer, sewing and handicrafts. Three batches of graduates from this department are now teaching in different provinces of the country and the neighbouring countries.
Those who passed matric examinations are enrolled at higher education and they are regarded as part of the Institute. They are accommodated in Durban, but still attend activities at the Institute. They are enrolled mainly at the University of Kwa Zulu Natal, Durban Institute of Training, Unisa and others.
Masakhane Girls School/ Verulam Islamic Institute is open to all South Africans of all different racial backgrounds. The only provision is that the candidate must show a good academic record and discipline. All South African provinces and the Southern African regions, namely Botswana, Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Malawi can send their children to the school for admission.
The school building comprises, 4 classrooms, computer section with 15 PC’s, sewing room with 12 sewing machines, library, a hall to accommodate 300 people, 4 administrative offices, attached Mosque and few other sections.
The highly qualified teaching staff is always the backbone of the education process. Verulam Islamic Institute has adopted a policy of employing qualified teachers most of whom are university graduates and experienced diploma holders in the field of education. The Masakhane Girls School is officially registered with the Department of Education.
Students experience interesting outings as part of their educational process. This includes visiting places of scientific or historical importance.
At the end of the first and third term, the school conducts internal camps where the students have the opportunity to enroll in different activities which are daily life-related such as hosting lectures and speeches on Aids, personal hygiene, preparing dead body for the funeral, first aid, etc.
The school has got two teams for Volley ball and netball. These teams participate in competitions with other government and private schools. The intention behind allowing students to interact with people of other faiths, is to prepare them to positively interact later with the whole country in their respective areas of career.
Director: Ramadan Ahmed Birima, Verulam Islamic Institute, Ph: (032) 5333989, Fax: (032)5333704, Mobile: 0836487995. Email:maktoumsa@webmail.co.za
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