By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: Belying the tall claims of Nitish Kumar government about Muslim welfare during the last four and half years of his regime, located in Muslim populated area in Darbhanga town, the Hajjan Bibi Soghra Hasan Memorial Girls High School gives you a clear picture of the plight of even government recognized minority schools in the state.
The lone government recognized minority girls high school in entire Darbhanga division, the HBSH Girls High School has today more than 1200 students for whom the government provides 9 teachers. In fact, when the state government recognized the school in 1978 it sanctioned post of 9 teachers and 3 non-teaching staff. Then the school had only 200 students. However, even more than three decades later the government has not made any increase in the sanctioned post of teachers or nonteaching staff while the strength of students at the school has crossed 1200 mark several years ago.
Since Nitish assumed office the school management has made several representations in the last four and half years before the concerned authorities – from District Education Officer in Darbhanga to Education Department in Patna – demanding increase in the sanctioned posts of teaching and non-teaching staff but to no avail. The school wrote to Chief Minister on 11th March 2010. The secretary of the school put the case in person before CM Nitish Kumar in his Janta Darbar on 12th April 2010, still no luck.
Interestingly, four years back the state education minister Brishan Patel of Nitish government had visited the school on the invitation of the school management. Witnessing the situation of the school, the minister in a public meeting on 21st February 2006 in the school premises had announced increase in sanctioned posts of teachers.
On the basis of this announcement, the school management submitted a petition with the District Education Officer of Darbhanga on 7th March 2006 demanding 16 teachers, 2 clerks and 6 other staff. The DEO in his letter dated 20th March 2006 approved the posts of 16 teachers and 10 nonteaching staff and forwarded the application to the Director, Middle Education, Human Resource Department, Patna. The application is gathering dust in the state secretariat under the nose of the chief minister.
In fact, 13 years ago the then DEO of Darbhanga had also approved a similar demand of the school (20th Dec 1997) and forwarded it to the Education Department in the state secretariat. That application is also lying there. The DEO in his letter dated 10th Nov 1998 approved the post of 13 teachers and 5 nonteaching staff.
Helpless and neglected for long years, the school management wrote to the National Commission for Minorities and State Minority Commission on 15th April 2010. Three months on, no response from them either.
At last the school management decided to take the help of the news media to highlight their real plight to force the authorities to move. Some journalists having concern for minorities were invited from Delhi and Patna. At a simple program on 1st July, the management put the whole issue before the media.
Managed by Millat Trust, the Hajjan Bibi Soghra Hasan Memorial Girls High School is the only hope for young Muslim girls in Darbhanga which has 22.73% Muslim population (Census 2001). Several thousand Muslim girls have matriculated from here over the years. “Muslims are now getting education thanks to some educational institutions here. Take the case of Soghra Girls High School. There was time when Muslim girls would not go out of home. Thanks to this school, thousands of poor girls are getting educated every year. There are more students than capacity at the school,” says Sultan Ahmed, ex-MLA, Darbhanga.
Dr. Abdul Wahab, President, Millat Trust
Despite constraints, the school has improved its performance in board exam. In 2007, 313 girls sat in the 10th class exam. Of them 101 (10 with first division) passed it. The passing percentage improved in 2008 when out of 332 appearing students, 183 cleared with 35 of them getting first division. In the 2009 exam the performance further improved with 249 of 312 passed it and 69 got first division.
Neglected by the government but concerned for the education of the poor Muslim community, the trust headed by Dr Abdul Wahab, a noted surgeon of the region, hired 10 teachers on their expenses some years back when huge rush of children began coming to school for admission. With 18 teachers far less than enough for 1200 students, the management is forced to put restriction on admission. Given the grim poverty of the population it is getting difficult for the trust to pay salary to these teachers. Thus their tireless effort for increase in government sanctioned post of teachers. They need help, really. Is anyone listening?
(L-R) Asif Umar (Senior Journalist based in Delhi), Dr. Abdul Wahab (President, Millat Trust), Mumtaz Alam Falahi (News Editor, TwoCircles.net), Saroj Singh (Bureau Chief, Chauthi Duniya)
[Photo by Mudassir Rizwan, TwoCircles.net]