EDUCATION

Imagine going to school without worrying about bulky school bags, forgotten books, and a deluge of stationery. Al Qamar Academy students are free from the stress of an average school, which makes them crave to learn day after day. A typical school day starts off with a quick reading from the Hadith of the Prophet. Then the students race off to their classrooms to put together a skeleton of the human body, a jigsaw puzzle of Asia, or maybe to arrange number blocks for their daily dose of math. This hands-on approach to learning through the use of experiments, projects, educational games, and puzzles makes learning fun. In addition to motivating them, this interactive method encourages children to think out of the box, do a little research on their own, and get involved in what they are learning, which is usually not the case in text-book intensive teaching. At Al Qamar Academy there is a major emphasis on developing independent research skills for the older children. Instead of copying and memorizing information they don't understand off a blackboard, the school makes the subjects exciting, which inspires the children to do a little sleuthing on their own.
After the Dhuhr prayer, the older children have a chance to browse the library's vast collection of enthralling, and wonderfully-illustrated books. What makes our library unique is that these secular and religious books have been carefully procured from all over the world, and many are not readily available in India. But all good things must come to an end and the day winds up with the kids working on art, while listening to their favorite nasheeds.

The younger children between the ages of 3-6 years are taught by certified teachers using the Montessori methodology. Older children between the ages of 7-10 years learn together in a group using the Activity Based Learning Model (ABL). The CBSE curriculum is followed as a benchmark, but the children choose their own areas of interest to work on, and pace themselves according to their capacity and understanding. Arabic is one of the many subjects taught in this manner, with one-on-one personalized teaching for each student. In addition to indoor projects and activities, excursions are used to supplement the interactive method of learning. When the children were learning about outer space recently, they followed it up with a visit to the planetarium.

The goal of the school is to instill a “Love of learning for a lifetime”. In keeping with this philosophy, children learn at their own pace, with no fear of scolding, tests, or other pressures. The curriculum is customized to each child's ability and existing knowledge, which is in line with the modern done its job. Needless to say, with no homework, no tests, no need to be 'seen and not heard', students of Al Qamar Academy love to come to school and hate to leave. The best testimony, of course, is from the students. As one of them chirpily writes: “Assalam Alaykum. I'm Eman Shaw. I'm an Al Qamar student. I love our school very much! It has puzzles, books, games and other cool stuff. And we can be happy here.” Approach of educating children. As a policy the school discourages tuitions. It believes that if a student needs after-school tuition, then it hasn't done its job. Needless to say, with no homework, no tests, no need to be 'seen and not heard', students of Al Qamar Academy love to come to school and hate to leave. The best testimony, of course, is from the students. As one of them chirpily writes: “Assalam Alaykum. I'm Eman Shaw. I'm an Al Qamar student. I love our school very much! It has puzzles, books, games and other cool stuff. And we can be happy here.”

Chennai's Al Qamar Academy aims to be a very unique school which blends an extremely child-friendly environment, which CBSE and NCERT has started advocating in India, as well as healthy Islamic atmosphere. In a few years, these philosophies will show up in many schools across India. Al Qamar Academy is among the pioneers blazing a trail that the rest will follow sooner or later.
For the child, Al Qamar Academy sounds like a 'deep dream of peace'. All we can say is 'May its tribe increase.' For more details, write to us at: al_qamar_academy@yahoo.in or visit www.alqamar.in or contact us Aneesa Jamal 09677019226

The NGO culture and Social Activism on their behalf are trying to help the Pathetic humanity to cherish the fruits which dignify the status of being human than just merely existing. In case of the Conflict zones the responsibility of NGO's becomes immense and venues for Social Activism are diverse too. Though the case of Jammu and Kashmir is different as more than 3,500 NGO's are registered but only few are actively delivering as to what is expected from them. IRRT is one among the delivering ones.

The Relief and Research Trust(IRRT),Srinagar is a unique conglomerate, unique because rarely NGO's or Trusts amalgamate Relief with Research as they are poles apart from each other. I am acquainted by the Founder of IRRT,Hazim Rashid Hanjura a prominent Social Activist of the Valley about the purpose of creating this Trust in the year 2001 which was to provide humantarian assistance to poor, needy, destitute, orphans, widows, disabled in general and to the victims of Conflict in Kashmiri Society in particular regardless of caste, creed, religion, or sex and to generate social awareness about the need for such civic interventions and to have research on Islamic Philosophy, History,Knowledge as well as provide Islamic Literature to those who are in need of it and a space to be provided for learning.

During the initial years of its formation the Trust concentrated on the areas of relief which was mostly provided to the widows and half-widows and also to orphan children whose education was supported and sponsored, as well as the Qurbani in different Poor and Underdeveloped areas undertaken on the eve of Bakr-Eid. The Major intervention of the Trust was made after the Uri-Earthquake,2005.Relief was distributed among the victims and others rendered homeless were provided the building materials. Among the innovative steps taken by the trust was establishment of Coaching Centres for students who had lost the tyrst and vigour to continue their studies further but due to the immediate intervention by the Trust the career of as many as 330 students was saved from ruin.

The Trust has also established five Crech Centres in Kashmir where kids below the age of 5 years are being trained for schooling along with nutritious food and healthcare is also provided to them. The Trust is also running Counselling Centres for helping out to settle family disputes and also to help the depressed overcome their anxiety. Besides it IRRT has also established a Zakat Centre for mobilising the Zakat, Sadqat as well as donation and fairly distributing it among the deserving. Alongwith these other schemes like Widow Welfare, Marriage Assistance, Emergency Relief and Scholarship Programs have been chalked out and implemented to do the needful for humanity. IRRT has also collaborated with various other NGO's for the relief programmes as well as facilitated the admission of poor and meritous students in different Professional Courses.

Deliberating about the Literary and Academic activities being pursued by the IRRT its Director Dr. Hamid Naseem Rafiabadi himself a scholar of International repute makes me familiar with various tasks undertaken for the serious research. To realize this noble goal a big reading room containing hundrends of books in English, Urdu and Arabic are present at the head office of the Trust for the use of research scholars. I am made aware of the fact that a series of Extension lectures have/are being organised by IRRT where scholars and Subject Experts of various academic fields lecture on contemporary issues relating to different fields of Knowledge. Besides it Natiya Mushairas, Seminars and Workshops too are organised to let the students, youth and interested be abreast with various upheavels and progress on different fronts of society and chalk out remedy for some burning issues. IRRT also publishes a monthly newsletter"The Intellectual" which provides writing space to students, activists, scholars and youth to debate,deliberate and discuss various Social, Cultural and Religious issues pertaining humanity as whole. The Trust also intends to bring out a series of books on Islamic Fundamentals and Teachings.

I m about to question the future course of action of IRRT when Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, a trustee confides that soon a Girl Orphanage is going to be set up by the Trust as well as more youth involved in its Humanitarian Efforts. With confidence, inspiration and radiating energy I left the Office.
IRRT has its branches at Anantnag,Chadoora as well as Jammu & it can be reached at www.irrt.org, The Intellectual can be reached at

www.theintellectualonline.info. H.R Hanjura can be contacted at 09419075361