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There are many examples of callousness with which we treat modern education in the state of Uttar Pradesh, the home to much of India’s ‘Muslim leadership’.
Consultations on Sachar Committee Report are taking place at a feverish pitch. But there is hardly any introspection on behalf of Muslims to reflects on any internal deficiencies which hamper the educational progress of Muslims. I am working for promotion of modern education among Muslims of Faizabad and Barabanki districts in Uttar Pradesh since 1999 under the aegis of Faiz-e-Aam Educational Society, Faizabad. This society has established 24 schools out of which 23 are promoting primary education, the foundation of learning. These schools are imparting value based quality religious and modern education.
Muslims in Uttar Pradesh invariably demand free modern education, but avoid paying even nominal monthly fee of Rs. 30 or 40. Even if it is paid, it is with great amount of unwillingness, and after several reminders. Sometimes children are also withdrawn from schools if a demand for fee payment is put. Madarsas and Government schools providing free education therefore attract the illiterate multitudes. But quality of education there fares poorly. Even a 5th standard student from those schools hardly compares with 2nd standard students in our schools.
Since fee collections are poor and irregular, the teachers’ salaries cannot be paid on time. Pleas for fee concession emanate only from Muslim families, other communities hardly ever demand concessions or defer payment, although their genuine cases are also considered.
Non-cooperation from parents results in closure of one or two schools every year. Non payment of fee is the main contributing factor. When strength of students is poor, the school runs in loss and is ultimately closed. Fee is hardly enough for meeting salaries, so basic infrastructure has to be arranged by the school management. But the community donates generously for mosque and Madarsas as those acts are considered to be fetching Allah’s blessing.
People are divided on the basis of ‘Maslak’ viz Deobandi vs. Barelvi. The divide is extended to the modern institutions too. Calls for unity are only rhetoric. Parents try to probe maslak of those who manage the schools. In a particular school a book of Islamiyat written by a Nadwi was rejected. This situation prevails in a majority of villages.
It will be worthwhile to mention about two schools. Our school at Bhitora village had 200 students belonging to very poor families, studying upto 5th standard. The school was run in allotted Gram Samaj land adjacent to a plot of land illegally occupied by two Muslim individuals. One day the two thatched classrooms of our schools were demolished and land was encroached and we were separated from the rest of the school by a boundary wall. Two more temporary classrooms constructed with donations were also taken away. No one from the community in the village raised any voice. Now we question ourselves if it is worth worrying for such a community.
Our school in Ibrahimpur village was being run for several years in an abandoned Madrasa. The late owner had three sons who never cared for it. We spent some money to repair the dilapidated building and added two classrooms, an upper floor and a toilet. Out of the blue, one of the sons descended on the village on a fine day and announced plans to set up a madrassa for Hifz (memorization of the Qur’an) while a few such madrassas already existed in the vicinity. He asked us to vacate the building. Furniture of a room was thrown out and it was occupied. The school has 200 students. When the matter was raised after Juma prayer, the man offered to resolve it in private and later evaded us.
There are four schools under the Faizabad Literacy Project in the city. The community doesn’t contribute for development of these schools. Large number of parents press for fee concessions. Ultimately this financial burden tells upon the quality of the education. Hike in fee is resisted and children are withdrawn.
In Barhwan, a madarsa in the heart of village serves just as a source of earning for the teachers. It is financed by a person in the Gulf. They are spoiling the career of children. It has been set up in order to counter our school which blends the modern and religious instruction. They even lured a few students from our school by offering them free T-Shirts.
Generally in rural areas of Uttar Pradesh, people consider Arabic and Urdu sufficient for their children. More so in case of girls. Girls are withdrawn from schools when they attain the age of 12.
Madarsa managements look at us as their rivals. In one such case, teachers from our school were lured away to the madrasa, children were tempted with promotion to higher classes without requisite ability. Parents were happy that their children got ‘promotion’. Does anyone understand the hazardous repercussions of such rivalry?
The above are a few examples of callousness with which we treat the modern education in the state of Uttar Pradesh, the home to much of India’s ‘Muslim leadership’. Unless Muslims mend their ways, nothing can uplift them from the mess they are in.
(The writer is a retired engineer and runs several schools in backward districts of Uttar Pradesh under Faiz-e-Aam Muslim Educational Society. He can be reached at -9936877215 or at faiz_education@yahoo. com)
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