Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF) had formed 11-member committee with Afzal Amanullah, former Secretary with the Government, as its convener. The MAEF is a non-profit and non-political social services organization funded by the Ministry. The Committee has submitted its report on the educational status of the Muslim religious minority in the country. We are unhappy to know that even after 70 years of independence the Muslim population is still not equal to national level of literacy. According to the 2011 Census data, literacy rate among Muslims was 68.53 per cent against the national average of 72.98 per cent. The difference in enrolment rate for Muslims (74 per cent) and the remaining population (83 per cent) is also “sharp”, the panel said.
In the first place most of the Muslims in rural India would want to confine the education of their wards to the dargahs or Islamic seminaries only and do not encourage their wards to seek enrollment in Government institutions. We are a secular country and our education strictly conforms to the norms of secularism. As such the Muslim population should have no fears of sending their wards to the Government schools. Secondly most of the backward among Muslim community do not encourage their girls to receive higher education. Early marriage of girls is also hampering their access to educational institutes.
We find sense in the three-tier recommendation of the panel which would mean opening hundreds of new schools and institutions in localities of Muslim concentration. We also endorse financial support to the deserving among the Muslim community. However, we would also emphasize on rationalizing of educational institutions run by the Muslim Endowments and Trusts all over the country to secularize their systems for creating more congenial atmosphere for amity among all religious denominations in the country.
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