Muslim organisations planning to set up education board

In a bid to improve the standard of education and to provide better educational opportunities to their youth, Muslim organisations in the country have taken an initiative to set up a separate board on the lines on ISC and CBSE.

"It has been decided to set up a Muslim Education Board on the lines of ISC and CBSE boards which will give affiliation to religious and non-religious educational institutions in the country," member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali told PTI.

"A decision in this regard was taken during a conference of prominent Muslim organisations held in New Delhi earlier this week attended by HRD minister Kapil Sibal and minister of state for minority welfare minister Salman Khursheed," he said.

The proposed board, which will give affiliation to all institutions up to class 12th, will not only ensure uniformity in the system, but also monitor quality of education.

"The idea behind floating the new board is to improve quality of education and to introduce modern education in Muslim institutions, including madrasas, in the country," Mahali said.

Syllabus of madrasas in Uttar Pradesh had already been revised and subjects like English, Hindi, Urdu and computers were made compulsory.

Immediately after the meeting, the process for setting up of the new board has been initiated with the formation of a high-level committee, which will prepare the draft, Mahali said.

Members of the committee include renowned educationist EA Enamdaar, vice-chancellor of Central Law University Odisha Faizan K Mustafa, former chairman of UP Minorities Commission SMA Kazmi, retired judge Justice Fakhruddin, Supreme Court lawyer Niyaz A Farooqui and AIMPLB member Kamaal Farooqui.

Member of the committee Kamaal Farooqui said the purpose behind floating a new board was to bring all the minority institutions under one umbrella.

"As of now there are a large number of madrasas and private schools running in the country, but they face problems in getting recognition or no-objection certificate. They will be brought under this board," he said.

Farooqui said that besides giving affiliation the board, which will be an autonomous body, would also monitor quality of education in the affiliated institutions.

"We will frame a common national curriculum for all the institutions covered by the board," he said, adding special emphasis would be laid on education of girls.

"We are worried with the low literacy rate among girls. This board would be more prone to them and will ensure better education opportunities for them," he said.

"We have already started working on this and expect that the first draft would be ready within a month time. We will have a meeting after Ramzaan month," Farooqui said.

He said while framing the draft, experts would be roped in and later on suggestions would also be invited from the stakeholders.

"We will invite suggestions from all, including community members, before submitting the proposal with the Centre," he said, adding efforts would be made to make the board operational from the next academic session.

Farooqui said the move initiated jointly by Muslim organisations from all parts of the country is backed by the AIMPLB.

"Members of the AIMPLB are involved in the process and we want the board to play a crucial role in this," he said.