BANEE Teachers Sponsorship Project: 6 Teachers required in Bihar, apply before 15th June, 2007

BANEE Teachers Sponsorship Project

Sponsoring one teacher is like sponsoring 100 students

Sponsor a BANEE beneficiary Evaluate New Applicants SCHOLARSHIP: APPLY ONLINE

(A) Background (B) What's the situation of Muslims in India (C) First-hand experience (D) Whose Responsibility is it to impart quality education to mankind? (E) Why is the quality level so poor? (F) How to go about it?

Click here for Proposed Operational Mechanism of Teachers Sponsorship Project

(A) Background

BANEE (Bihar ANjuman’s Educational Empowerment) projects consist of the following stages:

Stage-1: (a) Sponsoring students (Scholarships), (b) identify model schools

Stage-2: (a) Sponsoring teachers, (b) merit awards to students and (c) High performance awards to teachers

Stage-3: Establish our own institutions

In stage-1, we have been sponsoring students (Eligibility conditions, methodology, etc: www.banee.org) - we have supported about 40 students so far. This stage has succeeded alhamdolillah, with support from many community members. [Details: http://www.banee.org/BANEE_Beneficiaries.htm]
Encouraged by excellent support from you, I am proposing to move on to stage-2, and start sponsoring teachers.

Shikwa-e-zulmat-e-shab se to kahin behtar tha;
Apne hissey ki koi shamm'a jalaate jaatey. [Ahmad Faraz]

Better light a candle than curse the darkness

(B) What is the situation of Muslims in India?

Sachar Committee Report should work as a vitalizer for the community. If we don’t act now, when shall we? You can download full Sachar Committee Report at:

http://www.biharanjuman.org/sachar_committee_report.pdf

From the report, I request you to ponder upon just 4 points, as of now:

(1) 25 % of Muslim children in the 6-14 year age group have either never attended school or have dropped out.

(2) Drop out rates among Muslims are higher at the level of primary, middle and higher secondary.

(3) While 26% of those 17 years and above have completed matriculation, this percentage is only 17% amongst Muslims.

(4) In the case of the IITs, Muslims enrolled in undergraduate courses are a meagre 1.7%.

Text Box:

Source: Sachar Committee Report, Fig. 4.16, page-66

Our scholarship scheme targets students beyond higher secondary (12th). If there is a high drop-out rate at lower levels, we would not have much hope at higher levels.
(C) Why children drop-out or don’t go to schools at all?
I feel the main driving force is hopelessness. If parents see no future for their children in education that can get them respectable employment, they would prefer the child to start earning early. Poor quality education (poor academic progress brings in hopelessness with respect to future) imparted to hundreds of thousands of Muslim children seems to be a far greater reason for alarming drop-out rates than their poor economic condition. Poor economic condition adds to the hopelessness, though.

During my recent visit to muslim-managed educational institutions, and discussion with members of their management committees, I found the quality of teachers as pathetic.

(C) First-hand experience

In one girl-school where more than 300 children study up to 10th level, I met a lady teacher who had passed out 10th from the same school. I asked her why she did not pursue her studies further. I was expecting an answer that she had financial problems in the family. But, her reply shocked me. She said she could not get admission in any college of the town. Why? Because she had managed to score just 40% marks at 10th level. And she was teaching science to the students! What future do we see for students she is teaching there? The story repeats in most of the muslim-managed institutions, with situation reaching alarming levels in madarsas of Bihar. What future do you see for the hundreds of thousands of our children who are studying in these idaaras? Who is responsible for ruining the careers of this large school/madarsa-going population? How can our community be so blind to this pathetic state of affairs? Those who contribute to these institutions must stop to ponder. Are these generous brothers/ sisters helping the society or are they ruining the society? Would they earn Allah’s rewards because they have been contributing generously, or are they accumulating His wrath (May Allah’s mercy be on us all) because their contribution is being utilized to ruin the future of such a huge population? Don’t curse me for saying this, please (I seek forgiveness from all of you who feel offended, and from Allah). May Allah reward them all, as per their neeyat (which was purely to help the community)!

The above graph (from Sachar committee report) shows that the gap between us and “others” is increasing despite thousands of idaaras having been opened (and serving) with pure neeyat. Neeyat alone cannot yield fruits. Neeyat must be supported well by sufficient efforts.

(D) Who has the responsibility to impart quality education to mankind?

The fact is that there is a race among muslims (both among so called intellectuals as well as among the ulemas) to send their children to Christian missionary schools (St Xaviers, St. Michael’s ….) or to those belonging Hindu missionary schools (Dayanand Anglo-Vedic or DAV, Ram Krishna or R.K. Mission …. … ). Why? The reason is simple. We want our children to get the best education. Who was asked by Allah to pursue education? "Read: In the name of thy Lord who created man from a clot. Read: And thy Lord is the Most Generous Who taught by the pen, taught man that which he knew not." (Quran, 96:1-5)
"Are those who have knowledge and those who have no knowledge alike? Only the men of understanding are mindful." (Quran, 39:9)
"And whoso bringeth the truth and believeth therein such are the dutiful." (Quran, 39:33)
“… … … and say: "My Lord! Increase me in knowledge."" (Quran, 20:114)
Who was commanded by Allah to spread the knowledge to the whole mankind, as Khalifas (each one of us, Muslims, were commanded to act as khalifas/ messengers)?
And strive hard in Allahs Cause as you ought to strive (with sincerity and with all your efforts that His Name should be superior). … …. It is He (Allah) Who has named you Muslims both before and in this (the Quran), that the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) may be a witness over you and you be witnesses over mankind! So perform … … [Quran 22:78]
Thus We have made you (true Muslims - real believers of Islamic Monotheism, true followers of Prophet Muhammad SAW and his Sunnah (legal ways)), a Wasat (just) (and the best) nation, that you be witnesses over mankind and the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) be a witness over you. ... ... [Quran 2:143]
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: Verily what a believer continues to receive (in the form of reward) for his action and his virtues after his death is the knowledge which he acquired and then disseminated, the pious son that he left behind him, or a copy of the Qur'an which he left as a legacy, or the mosques that he had built, or the inn that he had built for the wayfarers, or the canal that he caused to flow, or a sadaqah which he gave out of his property in the state when he was healthy and alive. (These are the acts of goodness the reward of which) reaches him even after his death. [Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 254, Narrated byAbuHurayrah, Transmitted by Ibn Majah, Bayhaqi in Shu'ab al-Iman]
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: Do you know who is most generous? They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. Whereupon he said: Allah is the Most Generous, then I am most generous to mankind, and the most generous people after me would be those who will acquire knowledge and then disseminate it. He will come on the Day of Resurrection singly, like a ruler, or he said: As a single Ummah. [Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 259, Narrated byAnas ibn Malik, Bayhaqi transmitted in Shu'ab al-Iman.]
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: A learned person is as much above a worshipper as I am above the least of you. He added: Allah, His angels and all those in Heavens and on Earth, even the ants in their hills and the fish in the water, call down blessings on those who instruct people in beneficial knowledge. [Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 1392, Narrated byAbuUmamah, Transmitted by Tirmidhi.]

(E) Why the quality of teaching is so poor?

This is basically due to lower wages paid to teachers. They are paid lower wages because of poor financial strength of these institutions. So, there is a vicious circle: u charge less fees or no fees from students … so you have poor financial strength … so you pay teachers equivalent to labourers … so quality of education is pathetic … so higher networth (richer sections) people of society don’t send their children to your school … so fees have to be low or nil … so financial strength has to be poor … … so on.
Now we MUST ponder upon how we can break this vicious circle. Sponsoring a teacher, paying him/ her respectable salary, with a view to impart quality teaching could be just one solution out of many possible. This solution seems to me as the most cost-efficient one, at the moment.
Sponsoring one student is equivalent to helping one student, whereas, sponsoring a good teacher (by selecting a quality teacher and paying market-level salary) is equivalent to helping more than 100 students. Sponsoring a good school teacher also means reaching the level where there is maximum drop-out rate. It means not just laying a string foundation for academic development of the children, but also building confidence among the parents of potential drop-outs that there is a bright future ahead for their children (and their family).

(F) How to go about it?

We must appoint quality teachers, keep them on our payroll, monitor their progress and monitor the progress of students they teach, depute them in educational institutions run by good muslims who are inclined towards imparting quality knowledge and are ready to cooperate with us in all our programs.
Let's be very clear about what we want. QUALITY education is a MUST. If we cannot provide that, let's stop talking about it, because if we can't impart quality education, we would be a partner, with numerous others, in ruining the life of thousands of our children. These children must be considered as great asset for our community and must get the best education, and ONLY the best. Khaana-pooree and khairaatee culture has to be halted. At least, BA must not be a partner in this culture.

Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves [Quran, 13:11]

This global network can help greatly in the whole process, in (a) identifying such schools, (b) selecting quality teachers, (c) training the teachers and guiding/ motivating the students, (d) sponsoring their salary and perks (minimum salary Rs. 4,000 per month), and (e) assessing their performance regularly.
Let’s continue to discuss the issue. I will propose the nitty and gritty of operational mechanism later. In the meantime, I expect your comments and suggestions, to pour in. Keep hesitations away. Those who wish to commit financial assistance towards this process may please do so at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biharanjuman/database?method=addRecord&tbl=12

or at http://www.banee.org/hands.htm

and view existing commitments at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biharanjuman/database?method=reportRows&tbl=12

May Allah make our neeyat pure, and let our neeyat take proper shape. May Allah make things easy for us in this respect! Every good intention that is supported by proper action (wherein our efforts are aligned with our intention) shall result in the desired outcome ……….. for the simple reason that Allah is the Most Just and the Most Fair, and He cannot allow our genuine efforts to go waste. Definitely what is lacking is either the purity of our intention, lack of proper action or the half-hearted efforts that we are famous for.
Surely! Allah wrongs not even of the weight of an atom (or a small ant), but if there is any good (done), He doubles it, and gives from Him a great reward. [Surah#4, Al-Nisa: Verse#40]
May Allah unite us in our efforts, if not in our thoughts, so that our knowledge and skills, experience and expertise, talents and energy, capabilities and capacities, sincerity and good intentions, wisdom and strength, wealth and resources could be utilized in the most optimum manner for our mutual benefits and for the benefit of the society!
Allah Ta'ala ka aisa intezam hai ke woh kaam karwa hee lete hain. Allah's administration is the only administration which has never failed, nor will it ever fail. If we don't do the work commanded by Allah, somebody else will do and take the place which Allah had reserved for us. Look at the history of the decline of Muslims. Social reforms and social service were commanded by Allah to be continuously pursued by Muslims, but was largely undertaken by Christians after the Muslims got busy with conquering of thrones and rejoicing over the resulting power. This is Allah's mechanism, I believe, if one group doesn't do some work that is necessary for the society, it's not that Allah would wait for this group to wake up from its slumber.
Verily! Those who believe and those who are Jews and Christians, and Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and do righteous good deeds shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. [Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #62]
Fortunately, we have firmly resolved and pledged before Allah that we would be ready to face all kinds of challenges but never go back on our commitment to work towards achieving the vision of winning back the race from other communities. And, it's inspiring to note your commitment and determination.
Togetherness makes sure that if one of us starts losing strength of our resolve, some one else will come forward, lend a hand, and help in gaining back the lost ground; thus bouncing back with stronger resolve would be much easier.
Jazakallah Khair!

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