11% increase in Muslim students admitted to primary schools in 2009-10

Updated on: Thursday, February 03, 2011

There has been an 11 per cent increase in admission of Muslims to primary schools across the country during 2009-2010, said National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) Chairman Justice M.S.A. Siddiqui on Wednesday.

Talking to The Hindu, Mr. Justice Siddiqui said that the increase was due to awareness created by the Commission. About 1.05 crore Muslims got admitted to primary schools during 2009-2010, of which 49 per cent were girls. Most of the admissions were in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

“The education profile of minorities in southern States is very satisfactory. However, we have to make concerted efforts to improve the education profile of minorities in the northern States. The Commission is conducting conferences across the country to sensitise people to empowerment of minority girls. After collating the information, a report will be submitted to the Centre by May,” he said.

When pointed out that Muslim students were denied scholarship owing to lack of funds, he said that it reflected the sad state of affairs the minority community was subjected to. “They do not have a good non-governmental organisation to represent them,” he added.

In his presidential address, Moosa Raza, chairman of the Southern India Education Trust (SIET), called for setting up a Parliamentary Committee for minorities and a Legislative Committee for ensuring proper monitoring of schemes at all levels.

Participating in the southern zone conference on ‘empowerment of minority girls through education,' organised by the NCMEI Committee of Girls Education, he said among all the minorities, both in terms of education, education development and share in both public and private services, Muslims were at the bottom of the ladder. He attributed largescale women's illiteracy due to the absence of all-girl schools within easy reach, economic necessity, demand for dowry, difficulty in finding grooms for educated girls, absence of girls' hostel/female teachers/scholarship/vital facilities and exclusive transport facilities among other things.
Memorandum

Mr. Raza presented a 15-point memorandum that urged the governments to focus on girls' education especially minority girls through a sub-plan in the five year; providing special quota for minority girls; providing incentives to parents to send their girls to schools; special scholarship; to encourage NGOs working for Muslim minorities; providing grants to upgrade minimum facilities; and subsidising minority girls' hostel stay.

Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy said “though there are several committees at the Centre and State level for minorities, a lot has to be done in this direction. The State government has been according importance for women empowerment through Self Help Groups. Women should form SHGs as these will give them financial freedom and ability to think independently.”

Former chairperson, State Women Development Corporation, Kerala, Qamarunnisa Anwar, said that government should provide scholarship for needy and meritorious students instead of asking banks to give loans with tiresome formalities; revive the religious instructions of Madrassa system with modernisation; and introduce more vocational courses for minority girls.

11% increase in Muslim students admitted to primary schools in 2009-10

More Education news