03-21-2012, 05:59 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-21-2012, 06:09 AM by G.Subramaniam.)
http://beyondheadlines.in/2012/03/discri...-children/
Discrimination against Muslim Children
Posted by adminIndia, Latest News, LeadSunday, March 18th, 2012
BeyondHeadlines Special Correspondent
This year, low admission to nursery classes in Delhi Private Schools has raised many doubts among the Muslims community. Of 92 schools which provided some sort of information on their websites, as many as 20 admitted no Muslim child while 17 admitted only one Muslim child each.
There are a very few schools which are willing to reveal the numbers of Muslim applicants that makes it difficult to establish the prevalence of bias. For example, against 170 available seats, the Pusa Road branch of Springdales School received 2,443 applications of which 155 were from Muslim children. The school admitted two Muslim children in the Economically Weaker Section category. Delhi Public School, East of Kailash, received 2997 applications of which 269 were from Muslims-against 180 vacancies. This school, which is close to many Muslim neighbourhoods, admitted five Muslim children in all.
In this regards, Abdul Khaliq, General Secretary of Lok Jan Shakti Party had written to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, few days ago alleging that these skewed figures amounted to denial of quality education to Muslim children. In a letter to Dikshit, copies of which were sent to Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal and principals of all major private schools in the Capital, he stated, ââ¬ÅData collected by us on the number of Muslim children admitted to nursery class this academic year in the cityââ¬â¢s popular private schools indicate dismally low numbers. Although Muslims comprise about 15 per cent of the population, less than 0.5 per cent of Muslim children have been admitted.ââ¬Â
Distressed Muslim parents are approaching to community leaders as well as concerned people to raise voice against the discrimination. At lest 87 schools failed to upload admission details on their websites as mandated by the Directorate of Education.
The Kirti Nagar branch of Springdales School admitted no Muslim child while the schoolââ¬â¢s Dhaula Kuan branch admitted one Muslim child. Of 150 children admitted by Blue Bells, Lajpat Nagar, two were Muslims. The ratio for Indian School, Sadiq Nagar, was three of 120. The best figures were posted by Delhi Public School, Mathura Road, which admitted 65 Muslim children against 240 available seats-23 and 42 in general and Economically Weaker Section category. All three schools are located in neighbourhoods with large populations of Muslims.
What explains such a large variation in the numbers of Muslim children admitted? Why are so many schools entirely unable to admit Muslim children when a school like DPS seems to have had no difficulty on this count? As Khaliq pointed out in his letter, the problem appears to be an offshoot of the widely-varying points system followed by school managements: ââ¬ÅIndian School has earmarked 30 points for those living in the neighbourhood and Blue Bells 40 points, whereas Cambridge Primary School has only 10 neighbourhood points.ââ¬Â
The current admission policy of Private School in Delhi have not only given mental agony to parents, but also provided an opportunity where the Minority Community start feeling that their children are being discriminated.
Discrimination against Muslim Children
Posted by adminIndia, Latest News, LeadSunday, March 18th, 2012
BeyondHeadlines Special Correspondent
This year, low admission to nursery classes in Delhi Private Schools has raised many doubts among the Muslims community. Of 92 schools which provided some sort of information on their websites, as many as 20 admitted no Muslim child while 17 admitted only one Muslim child each.
There are a very few schools which are willing to reveal the numbers of Muslim applicants that makes it difficult to establish the prevalence of bias. For example, against 170 available seats, the Pusa Road branch of Springdales School received 2,443 applications of which 155 were from Muslim children. The school admitted two Muslim children in the Economically Weaker Section category. Delhi Public School, East of Kailash, received 2997 applications of which 269 were from Muslims-against 180 vacancies. This school, which is close to many Muslim neighbourhoods, admitted five Muslim children in all.
In this regards, Abdul Khaliq, General Secretary of Lok Jan Shakti Party had written to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, few days ago alleging that these skewed figures amounted to denial of quality education to Muslim children. In a letter to Dikshit, copies of which were sent to Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal and principals of all major private schools in the Capital, he stated, ââ¬ÅData collected by us on the number of Muslim children admitted to nursery class this academic year in the cityââ¬â¢s popular private schools indicate dismally low numbers. Although Muslims comprise about 15 per cent of the population, less than 0.5 per cent of Muslim children have been admitted.ââ¬Â
Distressed Muslim parents are approaching to community leaders as well as concerned people to raise voice against the discrimination. At lest 87 schools failed to upload admission details on their websites as mandated by the Directorate of Education.
The Kirti Nagar branch of Springdales School admitted no Muslim child while the schoolââ¬â¢s Dhaula Kuan branch admitted one Muslim child. Of 150 children admitted by Blue Bells, Lajpat Nagar, two were Muslims. The ratio for Indian School, Sadiq Nagar, was three of 120. The best figures were posted by Delhi Public School, Mathura Road, which admitted 65 Muslim children against 240 available seats-23 and 42 in general and Economically Weaker Section category. All three schools are located in neighbourhoods with large populations of Muslims.
What explains such a large variation in the numbers of Muslim children admitted? Why are so many schools entirely unable to admit Muslim children when a school like DPS seems to have had no difficulty on this count? As Khaliq pointed out in his letter, the problem appears to be an offshoot of the widely-varying points system followed by school managements: ââ¬ÅIndian School has earmarked 30 points for those living in the neighbourhood and Blue Bells 40 points, whereas Cambridge Primary School has only 10 neighbourhood points.ââ¬Â
The current admission policy of Private School in Delhi have not only given mental agony to parents, but also provided an opportunity where the Minority Community start feeling that their children are being discriminated.