Educational institutes have only 2 per cent Muslims

Hyderabad: Dr Fakhruddin Mohammed, honorary secretary, Mesco, said that the Muslim community forms less than two per cent of the total strength in national-level educational institutions and that the organisation aims to increase this representation ratio to five per cent.

Addressing the media, he said, “While many Muslim students are eligible to study in the country’s premier institutions, not all of them apply. The primary cause of our scarce representation is the lack of knowledge about the importance of these institutions.”

“Most Muslim parents don’t want to send their wards to institutions located far away from home. Secondly, not many Muslim candidates have been opting for skill development courses. If certified by premier institutions, candidates can land high paying jobs not just in India but even abroad. So, we want to do our best to educate and guide the Muslim community about the various available courses,” he said.

Responding to a query regarding the decline of Muslim managed professional colleges — particularly engineering colleges — Dr Fakhruddin said, “Muslim-managed educational institutions could not survive because most institutions were established to serve commercial purposes. They survived on fee reimbursements during the YSR regime. In the new state, however, the government has made the procedure difficult, so only the institutions which were established with a vision and continued to maintain their standards are surviving.”

The Mesco and All India Education Movement are jointly organising the four-day ‘India Education Conclave 2019’ in Hyderabad in collaboration with different educational and social organisations.

During the conclave, Muslim scholars, intellectuals, academician, and social scientists will discuss the various challenges and prospects of quality education. The conclave will be held in Hyderabad from June 13 to June 16.

“On the first day, delegates will discuss issues related to school education and skill development, dropouts, coaching classes, and counselling. Other significant topics, like the role of women in quality education, technology, research, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, big data, moral education, and modern institutions will be taken up for discussion over the course of the programme,” Dr Fakhruddin said.