Minority report: Failed by government and schools

NEW DELHI: Education is the key to leadership, and the backwardness of Muslims demonstrates a lack of it.

The enrolment of Muslim girls in schools has declined, but backwardness alone is not to blame as the availability and accessibility of both public and private schools are inadequate. Many Muslim parents have reported facing discrimination and visible hostility from teachers and school authorities while trying to seek admission for children.

The dismal condition of government and municipal schools is no secret, so some Muslim parents opt for madrassas over schools. "The teachers remain absent and the quality of education is poor. It's better for children to attend madrassas as these days they also impart (modern) education and students can get placed as translators in Gulf countries," said Shariq Khan, a resident of Seelampur. The BabulUloom Madrassa that has more than 180 students is a few kilometres away from his residence.
A study by the Institute of Objective Studies shows how Muslim children whose parents meet criteria of income, proximity and educational background were denied admission on flimsy grounds in formal schools.
In 2012, social activist Abdul Khaliq used RTI to collect information about the number of Muslim children enrolled in nursery in Delhi's private schools. "The bias was clear. Of the 92 schools that provided information, 17 admitted only one Muslim child each and around 20 had no Muslim student that year. The other schools had only five or six students each," he said.

The study claims that one reason for the high college dropout rate among Muslims is that they study in nearby areas, and don't get to mix with children from other communities at the school level. College delivers a culture shock. However, enthusiasm for good English-medium secular education is strong in the middleclass Muslim residents of these areas.

Kachchi Khajuri that lies along the Pushta Road linking Delhi with Uttar Pradesh demonstrates the plight of Muslim children. Across the

road from it is Pucci Khajuri, a Gujjar-dominated colony. Kachchi Khajuri is almost entirely a Muslim area and does not have a Delhi government school. Its children attend school on the other side where, besides schools, there are roads and covered drains.

In Okhla and Zakir Nagar wards, people allege their children are asked whether they have seen a terrorist, live next door to one, of if their father knows a member of Indian Mujahideen.

"It's really disturbing when parents come complaining about such questions, but with whom can they take it up when profiling of children from this area is so common," said Amanatullah Khan, AAP worker and a resident of Batla House.

There are some success stories too. For instance, after the amazing transformation of Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya-2, Zeenat Mahal, a century-old Urdu-medium school for girls, parents no longer need to look for schools outside their area.

Until a few years ago, the school ranked among the 200 worst-performing government schools in Delhi with its pass percentage around 50%. But in 2008, its pass rate was 100% and it topped among non-Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalayas (RPVV), standing fifth among all government schools. The good work continues.

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