By Kaleem Kawaja,
In April 2009 I visited some villages in Faizabad district which is located about 130 km east of Lucknow, on the main highway leading from Lucknow to cities in Eastern U.P. As such it is considered a part of eastern UP where the majority occupation of people is still agriculture, although industrial and commercial activity is now beginning to sprout in the city of Faizabad. Muslims form the majority population in many villages in Faizabad district. But their educational level is very depressed and there are very few good schools in the villages.
Faize-Aam Muslim Education Society:
To remedy this situation two pioneers, Mr Irfanullah, a retired engineer from the UP government and Mr Akhtar Siddiqui, a retired teacher, established the Faiz-e-Aam Muslim Education Society in 1993, that is registered with the government of India. It also has Indian government approval to receive donations from foreign countries.. Their mission is to build schools in the villages in Faizabad district. With very meager resources they started about 20 primary schools in tin-sheds in the villages. The buildings of most of these schools comprise of nothing more than tin shed buildings, most without doors, windows, flooring, electricity and water connection. The total number of students in the Society’s schools today is about 4,500 – about three-fourth of them being Muslims. The total number of teachers is 155.
All schools of this Society are certified by NIOS (Ministry of HRD, Government of India). In addition to regular subjects like English, Hindi, Urdu, Science, Mathematics they also teach Diniyat. Over the years the Society has been successful in building proper buildings, classrooms etc to convert about five of their tin-shed schools into proper schools. The Society has also been successful in maintaining good standard of education. In the recent 2009 annual examination about three-fourth of the students from the 20 schools of the Society obtained first division. The following are some of the notable schools of this Muslim Education Society.
1. Faiz-e-Aam Muslim Inter College, Village – Sheikhpur Jafar, Tahsil – Raunahi: This school was established in 1998. With donations provided by some philanthropic individuals in the district and very significant donation from Dr Ebrahim Kazim, a medical doctor who lives in Trinidad , West Indies, it has now been built into a very nice 3 story building with 12 classrooms, a nice library with 2000 books, a chemistry lab and a computer lab. A mosque has also been built adjacent to the school. The number of students in this school now is over 1100, in classes from Nursery to grade XII. The number of teachers is 30 and non-teaching staff numbers 8.
2. Amina Abedin Memorial Girls Higher Secondary School, Village Sheikhpur Jafar, Tehsil – Raunahi: This school was established and its building completed in 2007. It is built on a parcel of land donated by Mr Akhtar Siddiqui and with a very large donation from Dr Ebrahim Kazim who lives in Trinidad. He has built this school in the memory of his late mother Mrs Amina Abedin. This school is located adjacent to the Faiz-e-Aam Inter college. The 3 story building of the school comprises of 15 classrooms and 3 science labs. Student population in this school is over 700; Number of teachers is 26.
3. Haji Abdullah Kazim Educational Institute, Village – Adil Nagar: This junior high school was established in 2008 with a large donation from Dr Ebrahim Kazim, who lives in Trinidad, in memory of his father late Haji Abdullah Kazim. At this time it has a student population of over 400, comprising of both boys and girls. This school employs 19 teachers and 3 non-teaching staff. The construction of the two story building of the school is nearing completion. The school has its own bus to transport children.
4. AIM Junior High School, Village- Kopepur: This school was established in 2004 by the Faiz-e-Aam Society and some philanthropists, in a tin shed on a parcel of land donated by village people. In 2009, Association of Indian Muslims of America (AIM), Washington DC, adopted this school and with a substantial donation constructed and completed its two story building that now comprises of 9 classrooms. The number of students in this school is 150 and the number of teachers is 6.
5. MZ Khan Girls Junior High School, Village – Patranga:
This school was established in 2004 in a tin shed in the village of Patranga on a parcel of land donated by some people from the village. In 2009 Mr MM Khan adopted this school and named it in the memory of his father late Dr MZ Khan. With significant donation from him the school’s building is being constructed. It will comprise of 7 classrooms. The student population in the school is 110 and number of teachers is 6.
Proposed AMU Alumni Junior High Schools in the Villages of Ichaulia and Mawai:
The Faize Aam Society has assigned the small tin-shed schools in the villages of Ichaulia and Mawai for construction into regular junior high schools by donations from the alumni of Aligarh Muslim University. AMU Alumni from Australia have provided some funding for the construction of some classrooms and a lab in the school in Ichaulia. This school has a population of 160 students and 5 teachers.
The Society has also assigned another small tin shed school in the village of Mawai for construction from donations from the alumni of Aligarh Muslim University. Its student population is 190 and it has 6 teachers. The Society is hopeful that with their collective donations the AMU Alumni will help complete the buildings of both schools in the name of their alma mater.
7. Other tin-Shed Schools in villages: The Faiz-e-Aam Education Society is operating another 13 primary schools in very basic tin shed or similar construction buildings in several villages in Faizabad district. The names of the villages are: Mangalsi, Mumtaz Nagar, Pure Makko, Mohiuddinpur, Babhan Gawan, Bhagwabheet, Wazeergunj, Khand Pipra, Belkhara, Bhauli, Ahrauli, Pure Jamashah, Bairampur. All of these schools that serve large population of Muslims need significant financial help to build proper buildings and classrooms for them that provide shelter from intense heat, scorching sun, heavy monsoon rains and bitter winter cold, and basic electricity and water connection.
Help needed from the community:
The above mentioned 13 schools that are still operating in tin-shed structures must be converted into proper buildings with class rooms that have doors, windows, electricity connection and a small library. In another ten years that will greatly help educate the Muslim youth of these villages and put them on the path of strong careers. In turn after acquiring basic education they will go on to having illustrious careers and will uplift the Muslim community as a whole.
This work of providing the needed financial help can be accomplished by organizations of Indian Muslims, organizations of alumni of various Indian Muslim universities, by collecting funds and providing them to the Faiz-Aam Education Society in a phased manner spread over the next few years. At this time the Society also receives some financial help from some other Muslim individuals and organizations including the American Federation of Muslims from India and the Association of Guardians of Faize-e-Aaam Inter College. But that assistance is not enough to complete the construction of these schools. Hence the need for all to get involved in this very important program. The address of the website of the Faiz-e-Aam Muslim Education society is, www.faizeducation.org. Their e-mail address is, [email protected]
The writer is a community activist in Washington DC. He can be reached on [email protected].