Education

Education has always been accorded an honoured place in Indian society. The great leaders of the Indian freedom movement realised the fundamental role of education and throughout the nation's struggle for independence, stressed its unique significance for national development. Gandhiji formulated the scheme of basic education, seeking to harmonise intellectual and manual work. This was a great step forward in making education directly relevant to the life of the people. Many other national leaders likewise made important contributions to national education before independence. Education is one of the most important drivers of India's social and economic development. Higher levels of literacy lead to greater economic output, higher employment levels, better health, better social structures, and higher marks along a number of other development indicators. More specifically, the impact of educating girls and women has been shown to result in rapid improvements in family planning, nutrition, health, and income and is seen as one of the best tools for promoting social and economic development.

The Government of India is convinced that a radical reconstruction of education on the broad lines recommended by the education commission is essential for economic and cultural development of the country, for national integration and for realising the ideal of a socialistic pattern of society. This will involve a transformation of the system to relate it more closely to life of the people; a continuous effort to expand educational opportunity; a sustained and intensive effort to raise the quality of education at all stages; an emphasis on the development of science and technology; and the cultivation of moral and social values. The educational system must produce young men and women of character and ability committed to national service and development. Only then will education be able to play its vital role in promoting national progress, creating a sense of common citizenship and culture, and strengthening the national integration. This is necessary if the country is to attain its rig htful place in the comity of nations in conformity with its great cultural heritage and its unique potentialities.

The 1986 National Policy on Education (NPE) first emphasized universalization of elementary education (UEE) as a national priority. Yet, despite a huge expansion in India’s formal education system in the last few decades, there are still roughly 50-60 million children out of school  in the age group 6-14 years, or nearly 25 percent of total child population in the elementary age group.

• The education of girls should receive emphasis, not only on grounds of social justice, but also because it accelerates social transformation.

• More intensive efforts are needed to develop education among the backward classes and especially among the tribal people.

• Educational facilities for the physically and mentally handicapped children should be expanded and attempts should be made to develop integrated programmes enabling the handicapped children to study in regular schools.Identification of Talent.

• Every effort should be made not only to protect the rights of minorities but to promote their educational interests as suggested in the statement issued by the Conference of the Chief Ministers of States and Central Ministers held in August, 1961.

• For the cultivation of excellence, it is necessary that talent in diverse fields should be identified at as early an age as possible, and every stimulus and opportunity given for its full development.

• Centres of advanced study should be strengthened and a small number of 'cluster of centres' aiming at the highest possible standards in research and training should be established.

The key challenges to achieving UEE are:

Access: The reasons for children being out-of-school are to do with lack of physical access as well as social access. In several parts of the country, especially in small, remote habitations, children still do not have access to schooling facilities and thus remain out of school. Seasonal migration of families in search of work for several months every year is another reason which deprives children the chance to go to school. In addition, a sizeable proportion of children live in villages and habitations where formal schools exist, but due to social reasons such as caste and gender they are either not allowed to go to school, or not given the proper treatment in school.

Retention: This is an issue of serious concern. According to statistics 53% of children drop out of school before completing the elementary level, or grade VIII. This high drop out is due to poor functioning of schools, for example, dilapidated school buildings, overcrowded classrooms, irregular attendance of teachers and children, lack of teaching learning materials, ineffective teaching, unintelligible language used by the teachers and the discriminatory attitude of teachers towards children of the marginalized sections of society.

Quality: Many studies have shown that children who do complete primary schooling attain abysmal learning levels. A majority of grade V children are estimated to be at a level no higher than grade II or III. The causes stem from the poorly functioning educational system which are transmitted down to the schools.

What we do : Hashmi Trust is keenly involved in ensuring training & education to such students who are competent and bright and who want to excel educationally. The trust has a large, fully equipped and state of art Education Centre with very experienced and capable faculties for all the subjects. The Education Centre has facilities like Library with more than 20000 books on various subjects, Computer Machine Room, Spacious class rooms etc. To such students who have cleared Prelimnary for IAS, PCS or any other Grade I UPSC/PSC level examination, free coaching is provided. For students from outside Amroha, free lodging, boarding and messing is also provided. Entire expenditure is borne by Hashmi Trust. Same facilities are now extended to such students who wish to prepare for LLB, LLM, PhD, MBA, BEd or any professional masters course.