Graduation Day Address – 20/03/19 at AIMAN Womens College, Trichy
EDUCATION STATUS IN MUSLIM GIRLS
PROF DR.M.A.ALEEM M.D., D.M.,(NEURO) EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF NEUROLOGY THE TAMILNUDU DR.M.G.R. MEDICAL UNIVERSITY
Respected Chairman , Secretary Habibullah , Members ,Correspondence M.M. Shahul Hameed Professors, members of the faculties, students, ladies and gentlemen.
It is a great honor to come here to deliver the 16thgradution day address at this great , Aiyman College for Women at Trichy. For many of you , this day will be an extremely happy one. You are graduating from one of the finest women' s college in the state with a splendid future in front of you . When you reach our age , India will if all goes well, have eliminated poverty and be nudging into the ranks of the higher- income countries.
Introduction:
Education is the single most important tool for social and economic transformation. A well – educated population, adequately equipped with knowledge and skill is not only essential to support economic growth but is also a precondition for growth to beinclusive, since it is the educated and skilled person who can stand to benefit most from the employment opportunities which growth will provide. Education is the most important thing for any country. Right to Education(RTE Act) gives fair and equal chance to every Indian child to get free and compulsory primary education. Modern studies suggest that female education is more important than male education for social and economic developement.
'' Education is the engine of personal developement. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can became the head of the mine, that a child of farmer can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another''
- nelson Mandela.
Muslims, the largest minority community in our country, constituting 14.23% of the populations, are seriously lagging in terms of most of the human developement indicators. Among them muslim girls and women lag behind their male counterparts and women of all the other communities
Importance of Women Education
''Education for all'' is one of the major tasks being carried out by our Indian government but still we have the lowest female literacy rate in Asia. India is working but the pace is slow as we haven't achieved what we should have achieved a long time ago. Parents especially in lower strata of society send their male chield to school but not the girl child .This is one problem where parents do not send thier daughters to school . Secondly it is also common to see that parents especially in urban areas often send their male child to better school.
Nations's progress is impossible without trained and educated mothers. If the women of our country are not educated, about half of the people will be ignorant,'' Education liberates women from ignorance, increase self – esteem and helps them take control over their own lives and guide the progress of their families.
Women are the backbone of a society. They are as equally important as men are.The role of women cannot be denied in any society or culture.
Women must be educated for a healthy and happy life. An educated womwn can be a better human being, successful mother and a responsible citizen. Educating women will unquestionably increase the living standard both at and outside home. An educated woman will force her kids to study further and wish them to live a better life than hers. Napoleon once said, Give me educated mothers and I will give you educated nations.
Three roles of women:
A women has to play three roles in the course of her life. Each of these roles expects some duties from her. It is only with the help of education that she would be able to do them successfully. The first is to be a good daughter. Second duty is to bea good wife. And third duty in to be a good mother Education teaches a woman what she should do to be good daughter, good wife and a good mother. An educated lady is good friend, a clever nurse and a useful adviser to her husband.
What Islam Says:
According Islam said, ''A mother's lap is the first school for child''. There is no priority for men over women in relation to the right to education. Both are equally encouraged to acquire education. Indeed, all the Quranic verses which relate to education and which advocate the acqusition of knowledge were directed to both men and women alike.
Ileteracy rate in India
It is unanimously agreed that iliteracy is one of the major contributors to poverty in any socio – religious community.
The literacy rates among the religious communities in india according to the census 2011shows that the literacy rate of Muslim females is only 51.9% which is lower than all other religious communities and it is even lower than the national average of females i.e.65.46%
Educational Status of Muslim Women in India
Among the muslims, 17.6% is the dropout rate, higher than the national average of 13.2%. As many as 25% of Muslims children in the age group of 6 to 14 years have either never attended school or have dropped out. Muslims have the highest dropout rate in the country. Only one out of the 25 under – graduate students and one out of the 50 postgraduate students is a Muslim in the premier colleges. The share of Muslims in all courses is low. Particularly at the post – graduate level and marginal in the science stream (Sachar 2006).
Education is one of the important social indicators have bearing on the achievement and the growth of an individual as well as community. This is apparent to be highly suitable for providing employment and, there by, improving the quality of life. They have the lowest work participation rate and most of them engage in the self – employment activities. "The government is still holding on to the survey of Sachar committee that came out with the data that 66.6% of Muslim women can read and write. They didn't ask the women what they can read and what they can write. If they had, most women have said they can read the Quran and they can write some Urdu. The problem is that documents detailing their state entitlement happen to be in English or Vernacular languages. So most Muslim women are left in the lurch. And also all women suffer gender based inequalities in marriage, autonomy and mobility acorss communities, Muslim women fare lower than the national average in certain key areas, also. These include socioeconomic status, occupational distribution, labour force participation and education.
Muslim women in Higher Education:
The worst literacy rate for women in India is among those in the Muslim community That is cause for concern.
Even more worrying is the performance of Muslim in terms of higher education A US India policy Institute released in 2013 , six years after the sacher Report, showed that only 11 per cent of Muslim in India pursue higher education compared to a national average of approximately 19 per cent. Most significantly , that study revealed that there has been a decline in the general category of Muslims
participating in higher education. The literacy rate and the higher education statistics represent a double whammy for Muslim women as it relates to empowermwent . In education , literacy is the starting line and higther education is the finishing line for becoming fully empowered . These statistics indicate that not enough Muslim women even get to the starting line and very few eventually reach the finishing line. This must change. Muslim women must be able to participate fully along the entire educational continum .This participation is pivotal for the futuire of the individual Muslim women, the Muslim family, and India.
Muslim women are marked with stark educational backwardness. Many studies and literature have given perspectives on the various reason and issues behind the educational backwardness of muslim women.
CAUSES OF ILLETERACY
Following are the most frequent causes of illiteracy:in Muslim Girls
1. Poor economic condition of the parents.
2. Thay had to look after their young siblings and old ailing ones.
3. Teaching and learning procedure in the schools are not attractive and effective.
4. Failing to enjoy individulal attention of teacher due to poor student – teacher ratio.
5. Interest of the girl's education is subdeud by that of marriage at early age.
6. Lack of female teacher in a school.
7. Engaged in wage earning activities to help their parents.
8. Parents are illiterate and ignorant about importance of education of their girl child.
9. Schools are not available within walking distance and closer to the place of dwelling, parents are a bit reluctant due to the feeling of insecurity.
10. Parents also do not see the value of educating daughter who would get married and remain a housewife.
Since they cannot see any direct relationship between education and economic betterment, they have very little motivation to send their girl child to school. The lives of girls and women continue to be controlled by the male-controlled belief systems and structures, which use prescriptions and proscriptions and even naked force to keep women in their place. Men take all decisions and they own all assets.
So
awarness is much needed to educate muslim girls.
For the individual Muslim women, education itself is empowering , It removes the shackles of ignorance. It develops the knowledge, skills and attitudes to pursue and create one' s own destiny .It builds self – esteem and confidence . Education is the gift that keeps on giving . It is an opportunity creator and a bridge to the future . For the Muslim family , education prepares the Muslim women to be a change agent . Too many Muslim families are trapped in poverty because of a lack of education . With her own education, the women can educate and equip her children to escape that vicious trap. Undeniably , education is a powerful equaliser, opening doors to Muslim women to lift themselves out of poverty.
In India , education delivers on the promise of the largest representative democracy in the world . Central to that promise are equality, opportunity and inclusive economic mobility. Education levels the playing field and makes that promise a reality. Once that reality exists for Muslim women they will be able to deliver on that promise for India by helping others up the ladder of success. They will have the capacity to change the face of India and the Iandscape of the world. In the 21 st century, higher education is becoming more importhat for climbing that ladder of growth . By higher education ,I don' t just mean 3 year colleges or universities. I include technical , vocational and professional education at the secondary levels. It might seem that I am a little delusional , given the current circumstances in talking about Muslim women and higher education.But that is not the case.
CONCLUSION:
Free advice is usually worth what you pay for . But that is not the advice I want to leave with you; you graduating students have the luxury of choice, of choosing what kind of work you will do and how you will do it. Make full use of that choice.
Our AIMAN college for the women at Trichy helps you in many ways to over come many hardles and provided the education to you women at you door steps in cost effective manner in trichy, by it dedicated service and teaching of Aiyman ,now you all become graduates,
Thakas to Allah and Aiman.
Congratulations to all the graduating studens, good luck and may you fulfill your dreams.
May Allah bless you, your family and your future.
Thank you all.
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