A Project Report on

Primary and Middle Level School Enrolments and Dropouts among Muslim Children in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts of Tamil Nadu

Principal Investigator

Dr. E. Selvarajan Professor of Economics Annamalai University

Department of Economics State Planning Commission Annamalai University Government of Tamil Nadu

2015

Contents

Title Page

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgement

List of Tables i

List of Figures v

List of Boxes vi

CHAPTERS

1 Introduction 1

2 Research Design 23

3 Profile and Status of Surveyed Schools 34

4 Perception of School Administrators on Muslim Children Education 45

5 Perception of Surveyed Muslim Households 57

6 Summary Way Forward 101

Acronyms 105

Annexure I : School Survey Schedule 107

Annexure II : Enrollment Survey Schedule 114

Annexure III : Dropout Survey Schedule 125

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I thank State Planning Commission, Government of Tamil Nadu for funding the project entitled“Primary and Middle Level School Enrolments and Dropouts among Muslim Children in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts of Tamil Nadu”. I place on record my sincere thanks to Tmt. Santha Sheela Nair, IAS (Retd),Vice Chairman, State Planning Commission, Government of Tamil Nadu for her concrete suggestions, which helped me in enriching the report. I am extremely thankful to Thiru Sugato Dutt, IFS, former Member Secretary i/c, State Planning Commission and Thiru Anil Meshram, IAS,Member Secretary, State Planning Commission for providing all necessary administrative support.

I owe a deep sense of gratitude to Dr.S.Manian, Vice Chancellor, Annamalai University, and Dr. K. Arumugam, Registrar, Annamalai University for their constant encouragement and unstinting cooperation.

I express my thanks to Thiru K.Kumaresan, Head of Division, Education and Employment, State Planning Commission for his encouragement and support from the preliminary to the concluding level ,which helped me in completing this task.

I sincerely acknowledge Thiru S. Sureshkumar, IAS., District Collector, Cuddalore for his constant encouragement and periodical reviews. I also thank Thiru R. Ananthan, District Planning Officer, Cuddalore, and Thiru D. Gnanasundar, Technical Assistant, Cuddalore, and this work would not have been possible without their continued support.

I would also like to place on record the support and encouragement rendered by Thiru S. Palanisamy, IAS., collector, Nagapattinam District and I thank him for all his efforts. I extend my thanks to Thirumathi Meenatchi, District Planning officer, Nagapattinam and Thiru Kamalakannan, Statistical Inspector, Nagapattinam for their help and cooperation.

It is my pleasure to acknowledge the help rendered by the Chief Educational Officers and other district level officials, Headmasters of Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts, Minority Welfare Officers; and others who have also co-ordinated with us in executing the work.

I take this opportunity to thank Dr. S. Nagini, Director, Research and Development, Thiru. Shanmugam, Finance Officer, Thiru S. Ravichandran, Assistant Registrar (Grants), Thiru M. Ramanathan, Superintendent (Grants) and Thiru VR. Murugappan, Assistant, (Grants), Annamalai University, for their administrative support.

I am grateful to Dr. N. Ramagopal, Head of the Department of Economics, Annamalai University, for his interest in the preparation of this report. I thank him for his valuable suggestions and constant encouragement.

The preparation of the School Enrollment and Dropouts of Muslim children in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts was possible owing to the untiring efforts of Dr. S. Ansiya Begum, Professor of Sociology, Annamalai University for spending her precious time with me to take part in focus group discussions and providing critical inputs. I express my deep sense of gratitude to Dr. R. Elango, former Dean, Faculty of Arts and former Head, Department of Economics, for meticulously reviewing the technical aspects of the report. I take pleasure in thanking Dr. Abdul Rahim, Former Head, Department of English, Annamalai University, for enriching the language of the report.

I thank Mr. S. Velmurugan, Research Associate ,who had shouldered the responsibility of executing various tasks of the project with involvement. He also deserves appreciation for his efforts behind the scene in organising several stakeholders meet and focus group discussions.

My sincere thanks goes to Mr. S. Mohammed Zubair, Ms. S. Nasreen, S. Sathyasundari and Mr. S. Saravanan, Research Assistants, who travelled to various Muslim schools and hamlets to collect primary and secondary data.

Lastly I acknowledge with a deep sense of appreciation, the unremitting cooperation and help of all the officers and staff of the SPC and District Administrations without whom the present endeavour would not have achieved fruition.

Dr. E. SELVARAJAN Annamalai University

List of Tables

No Title Page

1.1 Population of Various Religious Communities in India 3

1.2 Muslim Population - 2001 and 2011 Census 14

1.3 Population of various religious Communities in Tamil Nadu 15

2.1 Sampling Parameters 25

2.2 Methodology 25

2.3 Total and Muslim population as per 2001 and 2011 28

2.4 Administrative Divisions of Cuddalore District 30

2.5 Taluk wise Muslim Population of Cuddalore District 30

2.6 Administrative Divisions of Nagapattinam District 32

2.7 Taluk wise Muslim Population of Nagapattinam Districts 33

Muslims Children Enrolment at elementary stage at the all India level and 3.1 34 the State of Tamil Nadu Gender and type of school functioning during 2014-15 in Cuddalore and 3.2 35 Nagapattinam Districts Type of Schools and Strength of Muslim Students during 2014-15 in 3.3 36 Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts Management wise Total Muslim Students during 2014-15 in Cuddalore 3.4 37 and Nagapattinam Districts Management wise Primary School Muslim Students during 2014-15 in 3.5 38 Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts Management wise Middle School Muslim Students during 2014-15 in 3.6 40 Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Management wise Secondary School Muslim Students during 2014-15 in 3.7 41 Cuddalore and Nagapattinam i

3.8 Muslim CWSN in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts 41

Major Reasons for Dropout in Muslim school Children in Cuddalore and 3.9 43 Nagapattinam Districts

4.1 Percentage of Surveyed Muslim School Children during 2014 45

Categories of Surveyed Schools and Dropouts Registered during Last Ten 4.2 47 Years

4.3 Availability of Teachers in Different Categories of Schools 48

Level of Education of Surveyed School Administrators in Different 4.4 49 Categories of Schools

4.5 Types of Schools and Number of Rooms Available of Surveyed Schools 50

4.6 Seating Arrangements for Students of Surveyed Schools 51

4.7 Condition of School Buildings of Surveyed Schools 53

4.8 Places where Classes are Conducted of Surveyed Schools 54

4.9 Attendance Rate for Students of Surveyed School 55

5.1 Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Programme Organized 57

5.2 Counseling Services Available to Muslim Children 58

5.3 Specialized Staff Available to Address the Special Learning Needs 60

5.4 Perceptions of Parents on Safe and Secure in the Surveyed Schools 61

5.5 Students Participation in Field Trips Organized by the Surveyed Schools 63

5.6 Parental Involvement in School Meetings of Surveyed Households 64

5.7 Accessibility of Schools by Muslim Children 66

5.8 Perception of Parents of Muslim Children on Teaching and Learning 67

ii

5.9 Assessment of Reading skills of Muslim Children 68

5.10 Perception of Parents on Teachers’ Communication and Understanding 70

Perception of effective English language Acquisition Programme for 5.11 71 Muslim Children

5.12 Perception of Muslim Children in Participating Extracurricular Activities 72

5.13 Perception of Muslim Children in Intramural Activities 74

5.14 Publications Available in Other Languages in Schools 75

Perception of Parents on Program and Supports to Prevent and Address 5.15 76 Behavior Problems Perception of Parents of Muslim Children on Allowing Students to Leave 5.16 77 School Premises Perception of Parents of Muslim Children on Wearing Uniforms and 5.17 78 Reporting Absenteeism Perception of Parents of Muslim Children on Encouraging Daily 5.18 80 Attendance and Incentives Perception of Parents on Availability of Auditorium and Performing 5.19 81 Activities

5.20 Perception of Parents on Library Services Provided by the Schools 82

5.21 Perception of Parents on Availing Outside Institutional Support 83

5.22 Male, Female Children and Medium of Education 84

Muslim Family Members Involved Male and Female Children in their 5.23 87 Homework Muslim Children sent to AWCs/Preschool before Admitting to Primary 5.24 88 School Perception of Parents on Completion of Schoolings and Interventions 5.25 89 Required

5.26 Perception of Parents of Muslim children on attendance and absenteeism 90

5.27 Perception of Parents on Availability of Place for Child’s study 91

iii

5.28 Perception of Parents on Sharing Time with the Children 92

5.29 Perception of Parents on Communication with the Schools 94

5.30 Type of Surveyed Households 95

5.31 Perception of Parents on Home Assignments 96

5.32 Involvement of Parents in the Development of Schools 97

iv

List of Figures

No Title Page

2.1 Block Map of Cuddalore District 29 2.2 Block Map of Nagapattinam District 31 4.1 Educational Level of Surveyed School Administrators. 50 4.2 Seating Arrangements for students of surveyed schools. 52 4.3 Condition of School Buildings of the Surveyed Schools. 53 4.4 Attendance Rate for Students of Surveyed Schools 55 5.1 Counseling Services Available to Muslim Children 58 5.2 Specialized Staff Available to Address the Special Learning Needs 60 5.3 Safety and Security 61 5.4 Students Participation in Field Trips Organized by the Surveyed Schools. 64 5.5 Parental Involvement in School Meetings of Surveyed Households 65 5.6 Accessibility of Schools by Muslim Children 66 5.7 Perception of Parents on Teaching and Learning 68 5.8 Reading skills of Muslim Children. 69 5.9 Teachers’ Communication and Understanding 70 5.10 Awareness on Effective English language Acquisition Programme 72 5.11 Muslim Children in Participating Extracurricular Activities 73 5.12 Participation of Muslim Children in Intramural Activities 74 5.13 (a) Male Children and Medium of Education 85 5.13 (b) Girl Children and Medium of Education 85 5.14 (a) Muslim Family Members Involved Male Children in their Homework 87 5.14 (b) Muslim Family Members Involved Female Children in their Homework 87

5.15 AWCs/Pre-School before Admitting to Primary School 89

v

List of Boxes

No Title Page

1.1 Reasons for backwardness of Muslims according to Maulana Wahiduddin 4 Khan, a noted Islamic scholar and peace activist. 3.1 Partially Abandoned Children 42

4.1 Extraordinary Efforts by Teachers and Outstanding performances by 46 Students 5.1 A Sea Change in the Mindset of the Muslim Parents 59

5.2 Muslim Boys Aspiration to go Abroad 62

5.3 Poor Muslim Girls sent to rich Muslim Households as Domestic Help 79

5.4 Minority Scholarship- Beneficiary 93

vi

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

“Children are like buds in the garden and should be carefully and lovingly nurtured as they are the future of the nation and citizens of tomorrow” - Jawaharlal Nehru

Education and learning are tools of empowerment. They bring radical changes in the quality of human life, attitude, and behavior. Education enables analytical thinking, innovation, and adaptability. Education not only provides intellectual illumination but helps in developing skills of problems-solving, social interaction, and imbibes and inculcates human values such as kindness, charity, tolerance, devotion to duty, self- confidence, truthfulness, honesty, tolerance etc., which are essential for the betterment of the individual as well as the society.

The education system should instill in the minds of students capacities of inquiry, creativity, technology, and entrepreneurial and moral leadership. Children should be empowered to be global citizens with intellectual, scientific, social, cultural, and human outlook. Education should train the mind to think creatively, bringing out the latent talents of the individual. It should further enlighten, equip, and entertain the children to face the challenges of day to day life and changing situations.

The past century has been characterized by a massive worldwide educational expansion. Increasingly complex economies demand a better-educated workforce. Moreover, in a globalizing world culture, nation-states are increasingly expected to take over the duty of educating citizens. Over the last 68 years, successive Governments in India have been committed to achieving the national goal of universal education and have steadily increased the budgetary allocation for education.

Right to education (RTE) mandates free and compulsory education to all children from 6-14 years of age. The key objective of RTE-SSA is Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE). Three important aspects of UEE are access, enrolment, and retention of all children in 6-14 years of age. This goal of UEE has further been facilitated by the

Introduction 1

Constitutional (86th Amendment) Act, making free and compulsory elementary education a Fundamental Right, for all the children in the age group of 6-14 years.

Minorities

United Nations Human Rights Commission in 1946 defined the “minority” as those “non- dominant groups in a population, which possess a wish to preserve stable ethnic, religious, and linguistic traditions or characteristics markedly different from those of the rest of populations.

The partition in 1947 led to the creation of India as a state with a Hindu majority and other religious minority populations. People belonging to various religions, caste, creed and language live in our country, and as a result there exist wide variations and inequalities amongst people. All those who profess a religion other than Hinduism are considered minorities. Islam is India’s largest minority religion.

Indian society suffers from substantial inequalities in education, employment, and income, based on caste and ethnicity. In view of these inherent inequalities in the society, the constitution of India allows affirmative action for the disadvantaged section of the population. As a democratic country India wishes to create inclusive growth and development for the minorities. Article 14 of the Indian constitution guarantees equality before the law as a basic fundamental Right and also our Constitution makers have made special provisions under Article 15(4), 16(4), and 46 etc., to protect the interests of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and socially and educationally backward classes and weaker sections. In India, Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution prohibit the State from making any discrimination on the grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, and place of birth, residence or any of them. Therefore, the Constitution permits positive discrimination in favour of the weak, the disadvantaged, and the minorities. Both the central and state governments have introduced several schemes and resources for the minorities and the disadvantaged section of the society to lift the backward sections to a level from where they can take advantage on equal footing.

Introduction 2

As per the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) Act-1992, five religious communities viz. Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Zoroastrians (Parsis) have been notified as minorities. As has been the case since Independence, the rate of increase of the Muslim population is higher than that of the Hindu population as a result of higher Muslim fertility, higher child mortality among Hindus, and a greater life expectancy among Muslims.

The data on Population by Religious Communities of Census 2011 show that between 2001 and 2011, Hindu population grew by 16.76 per cent, while that of Muslims by 24.6 per cent. The sex ratio among Muslims now stands at 951 females for every 1,000 males, substantially better than 936 in 2001, while among Hindus, it is 939 females for every 1,000 males, a slight improvement over the 2001 value of 931. J&K remains the State with the largest Muslim population and registered with significant increase between 2001 and 2011, followed by Uttarakhand and Kerala.

Table 1.1: Population of Various Religious Communities in India Population Population Growth Religion - 2001 Percentage - 2011 Percentage Rate (In Lakhs) (In Lakhs) Hindu 8276 80.46 9663 79.80 16.76 Muslim 1382 13.43 1722 14.23 24.65 Christian 241 2.34 278 2.30 15.53 Sikh 192 1.87 208 1.72 8.42 Buddhist 80 0.77 84 0.70 6.13 Jain 42 0.41 45 0.37 5.37 Other Religions 66 0.65 79 0.66 19.55 Religion Not Stated 7 0.07 29 0.24 294.08 Total 10286 100.00 12109 100.00 17.72 Source: Census of India 2001 and 2011.

The growth rate of Muslim population in the decade 2001-2011 is 24.65%, which is very much above the National growth rate of 17.7%. The growth rate of population of the different religious communities in the same period is shown in Table 1.1.

Introduction 3

Educational Backwardness of Muslims

The one great factor responsible for the fall of Muslims in India was their neglect of the right type of education. It is not that they remained uneducated all through, but they failed to keep pace with the trend of advance elsewhere in the realm of education. They failed to understand that knowledge should not remain knowledge as such, but it should be transformed into skill, wisdom, and technology in its turn should integrate with culture. They failed to observe that knowledge through skill, wisdom, and understanding bestows on man the power to move towards his destiny which is the quest for higher objectives of life. Earlier, they became averse to Govt. sponsored education and tried hard to “maintain” their Islamic identity in the field of education by sticking to society managed Madrasa (Moktab) education. These Moktabs cater mainly to religious education with very low paid Moulovis (teachers). Though there are still many small schools that teach in a style reminiscent of the ninth century—with no systematic curriculum and relying only on rote memorization—today this is not so common. Box 1.1: Reasons for backwardness of Muslims according to Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, a noted Islamic scholar and peace activist.

He says that it is true that Muslims are backward compared to other communities, but the cause for this is not discrimination, as Muslims claim. Rather, they are backward because they are backward in education. They are paying the price for their educational backwardness. The real reason is that Muslims, under the influence of the ulema, believe that education is only religious education. In line with the ulema’s fatwas, they still believe that modern education is not education, and that only religious education is education. He also adds that first of all, you will have to make Muslims aware that modern, education is very important, and that it is not un-Islamic. They need to realize that this is a vital necessity for themselves, that it is the need of the hour.

Introduction 4

Problems of Providing Education to Muslims

Indian culture is distinct in nature where each ethnic group has the liberty to maintain its Religious identity. Muslim society in India is very heterogeneous in nature mainly because of the influence of caste system; Muslims are among the most backwards in India. They are not taking care of their educational advancement from the advantages of constitutional provisions. The problem of backwardness is a long term process. Muslims are far lagging behind than the other communities in terms of economic, social, educational, as well as political. There are various reasons for Muslims being educationally backward:

 Muslims are facing socio-economic poverty from the past. Their vision is blurred towards education because the majority of Muslim parents are illiterate, and are unaware about the importance of modern education. They live in large families and give greater importance to early marriages. There is absence of vocational education to improve their image and develop through education.  There is a negative attitude towards girls’ education among Muslims. Due to hurdles from the family,girls they lose the zeal to achieve something through education and thus they themselves do not have academic interest. If at all they are fortunate enough to go to a good school, they are often discouraged to go for higher education, especially overseas. There is often the misconception regarding the “purity” of the girls if they studied in Universities, or traveled abroad. The most important reason is that there is difficulty in finding educated grooms if the girls becomes highly educated.  As identified by the Sachar Committee, normally Muslim Settlements are systematically deprived of access to infrastructure and public services like power, piped water supplies, and sewerage. The Muslim community lives in low income, filthy, and poor living conditions.  Muslims have poor facilities in their schools and proper education is also absent. Most of the schools are traditional, having problems of medium. The education is also not linked with employment opportunities.

Introduction 5

 Madarsa and Maktabs are still running in the traditional pattern. There is no influence of modern education in their syllabus. Students of Madarsa are not introduced to commerce and basic computer use.

Madrasa and Muslim Education

The word "Madrasa" refers to any place of learning in the same sense that, the word "school" refers to a primary school, a high school, or a university.

Although the government says that all primary education should be in the mother tongue of the child, there are not enough Urdu Primary schools to meet the growing demand of the increasing population. The Medium of instruction is either English or Hindi or regional language. Since Urdu happens to be the mother tongue of Muslims all over India except in two or three states, their children find it very difficult to cope with those whose mother tongue is the regional language. English schools or public schools have been the centres for the children of the elite and the poor Muslims could not afford to send them there. Wherever there are Urdu schools, they are not that good--either they are too few in number or too poor in quality. So many Muslim parents choose to send their children to Madrasa because they consider the education they get there to be a respectable one.

Madrasa vary widely in size, quality, and in the duration of studies. Differences between Islamic and secular education in the structure of education systems make comparisons somewhat difficult. Unlike in traditional schools, under the Islamic education system, students do not progress regularly from one grade level to the next, nor are there clear-cut divisions between primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, based on performance standards and examinations. Schools generally have looser time tables and students’ progress individually, with those who are more advanced helping those who have learned less. Many Madrasa are located in poor communities and provide essential social services: education and lodging for children, who otherwise could find themselves the victims of forced labor, exploitation, or other forms of abuse.

Introduction 6

Madrasa may serve communities that government schools do not reach, particularly in rural areas. Even in the cities, where many more government and other private schools exist, Madrasa provide social services for Muslim orphans. Girls are often allowed to attend Madrasa but not secular schools because parents trust that they are safe. Some are willing to wait for long periods, even at the cost of permitting their children, especially girls, to remain illiterate until they can find space in an Urdu-medium school or a Madrasa.

This is the case even though the Urdu-medium schools offer no better quality education than regular government schools and have their own disadvantages—most Urdu schools, operated and managed by Muslims, have teachers with inadequate qualifications and little, if any, pedagogy training. Urdu medium teachers may not be available for some subjects such as science, and Urdu-medium books are not readily available in the market. Many madarsas are woefully ill-equipped in terms of furniture, books, teaching/learning supplies, and even toilets.

According to the Sachar Committee report, despite a common belief that a large number of Muslim children attend madarsas for primary education today, only 3% of Muslim children among the school going age go to madarsas. Instead, many Muslim children are enrolled in Maktabs, which provide supplementary religious education in addition to enrolment in public schools.

Inbreeding- Mental Retardation and Low Intelligence

Massive inbreeding within the Muslim culture during the last 1,400 years may have done cascading damage to their genes. The consequences of intermarriage between first cousins often have serious impact on the offspring’s intelligence, sanity, health, and surroundings. There is a high incidence of mental retardation and other genital handicaps among Muslims, showing the unhealthy consequences of this practice. A rough estimate shows that close to half of all Muslims in the world are inbred. A large part of inbred Muslims are born from parents who are themselves inbred. This increases the risks of negative mental and physical consequences greatly. Several studies show that children of consanguineous marriages have lower intelligence than children of non-related parents.

Introduction 7

Research shows that the IQ is 10-16 points lower in children born from related parents, and that abilities related to social behavior develops slower in inbred babies. The consequences for offspring of consanguineous marriages are unpleasantly clear: Death, low intelligence or even mental retardation, handicaps, and diseases often leading to a slow and painful death. Other consequences are limited social skills and understanding, limited ability to manage education and work procedures. The negative cognitive consequences also influence the executive functions. The impairment of concentration and emotional control most often leads to anti-social behavior. An increased number of mentally ill children could be witnessed in Muslim communities as a consequence of inbreeding.

Initiatives taken for Development of Minorities by the Union Government

With the implementation of the Right to Education Act, it is the duty of the State to ensure that each child is enrolled in school and get proper education.

It is evident that educational backwardness is concentrated in population groups who are disadvantaged due to their location, to social factors related to caste/tribe/religion, socio- economic status, and gender. These children face barriers that arise from those factors related to the home and the community. For example, a poor girl from a Muslim in a rural area may face multiple hurdles that would combine being a resident in a rural area, limited access to resources etc., She addresses the problems of social discrimination, and socio- cultural gender norms inimical to schooling of girls, and experiences some level of alienation from the language and culture of the school system. Language is an issue particularly in the rural areas since the teacher imparting the classroom instructions may be unfamiliar with the language spoken by these children at home. In the urban milieu, in addition to barriers arising from poverty and uncertain livelihood, children working and living in the streets and slum areas suffer access problems due to uncertainty of residence. Hurdles in terms of school infrastructure and quality also add to the obstacles to school participation. The Union Government and the Government of Tamil Nadu are committed towards the welfare and education of the minorities.

Introduction 8

Since 2004-05, serious efforts have been taken to bring about significant changes in the educational development of the Minorities, particularly Muslims. The PM’s 15 point programme has been launched. A separate Ministry of Minorities has been created for the rapid development of the Minorities. The entire Muslim minority concentration districts have been made as Special Focus districts under SSA. Even though the efforts of GOI have been directed towards providing an inclusive and steady growth of education among all sections of society the bare fact remains that the Muslim community, for reasons be outlined later has not been an equal participant in the process.

Dr. Gopal Singh Committee

In 1983, a High Power Panel was appointed by the Ministry of Home Affairs headed by Dr.Gopal Singh. This Committee identified Muslims and Neo-Buddhists as two educationally backward minorities at the national level and proposed special efforts for bringing them on par with the rest of the society. For the Muslim minority, forty four districts with concentration of Muslims, based on 1981 Census, were identified for special attention.

The 15 - Point Programme for Minorities, 1983

In May 1983, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi issued a 15-Point Directive for the welfare of the minorities. It was felt that in many areas recruitment is done through competitive examinations, and often the minority groups are unable to take advantage of the educational system to compete on equal terms. Therefore, steps should be taken to encourage the starting of coaching classes in the minority educational institutions to train persons to compete successfully in these examinations. Likewise, acquisition of technical skills by those minorities who are lagging behind needs to be enhanced, as in the long run it would also help in national development. Arrangements should be made to set up Polytechnics by government or private agencies in predominantly minority areas to encourage admission in such institutions.

Introduction 9

The National Policy on Education, 1986

The need to take special steps to advance the education of Muslims was noted in the National Policy of Education 1986. The Programme of Action (Revised in 1992) and led to formulation of the Area Intensive Educational Development as a Central Government Scheme of the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The National Policy on Education, 1986 states the following with regard to the minorities: “some minority groups are educationally backward or deprived. Greater attention will be paid to the education of these groups in the interest of equality and social justice. This will naturally include the constitutional guarantees given to them to establish and administer their own educational institutions, and protection to their languages and culture. Simultaneously, objectivity will be reflected in the preparation of textbooks and in all school activities and all possible measures will be taken to promote integration based on appreciation of common national goals and ideas, in conformity with the core curriculum”. This has been reiterated in the revised Policy Formulations, 1992.

The Programme of Action, 1992, first took note of the existing programmes for the Muslim Minorities and suggested a large number of short term, medium term, and long term measures to promote their education and technical skills, and for their integration in the mainstream though measures such as systematic evaluation of textbooks from the standpoint of national integration by the NCERT, and intensification of orientation programmes for the Principals/Managers, and training programmes for teachers from minority educational institutions. The Programme of Action proposed revamping and expanding the UGC Scheme of Coaching Centers for students belonging to the educationally backward minorities to cover more minority concentrated areas; a crash programme for school improvement to be implemented on priority basis in minority concentrated areas and the need to establish monitoring mechanisms for monitoring of various programmes for the minorities; location of schools in minority concentrated areas for improved access and facility of Urdu in all schools with required number of students belonging to the Muslims minority. The Women Community Polytechnics need to be set up in minority concentrated areas on priority areas. Major schemes proposed in the Programme of Action 1992 include the Centrally sponsored Scheme of Area Intensive

Introduction 10

Programme for Educationally backward minorities; the Centrally sponsored Scheme of Modernization of Madrasa education by introduction of Science, Mathematics, English / Hindi in traditional Madrasas and Maktabs on voluntary basis; A Centrally Sponsored scheme of appointment of Urdu teachers in the states where Urdu is spoken by substantial numbers; and a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of language teachers funded by the Government of India to encourage the States in achieving the targets in respect of minority education.

The Programme of Action also suggested a number of other schemes e.g. a scheme of in- service training for teachers from minority managed institutions in Sciences, Mathematics, Social Science, English, and Career Guidance through SCERTs and other Resource Centers; Scheme of appointment of regional language teachers in minority institutions for national integration and implementation of three language formula; a scheme of remedial coaching in minority institutions.

The Scheme for Modernization of Madrasa Education, 1992, aimed at providing mainstream education to children studying in madrasas, a traditional institution for educating children among the Muslim community. During the Tenth Plan period, this scheme was merged with another scheme, namely, the Area Intensive Program for Educationally Backward Minorities. The revised scheme, known as the Area Intensive Madrasa Modernisation Program (AIMMP), retains the major objectives of the previous schemes, i.e. modernizing Madrasa education so that the children can be part of the national mainstream, and infrastructure development of identified institutions catering to educationally backward minorities.

Sachar Committee

The Sachar Committee Report has brought out very sharply the relative deprivation of Muslims in the field of education. The literacy rates among Muslims in 2001 (59%) is far below the national average (65.1%), and the growth in literacy rates for Muslim has been lower even than that for SCs/STs. Primary education and higher secondary attainment levels are among the lowest for Muslims, and inter- state differences rise at the school- leaving stage. One-fourth of Muslim children in the age group of 6-14 years has either

Introduction 11 never attended school or are have become drop outs. School enrolment rates among Muslims are lowest compared to all the SRC’s including SC’s/ST’s. The Dropout Rate (DOR) is the highest among Muslims, and this seems to go up significantly after middle school.

Only 50 per cent of Muslims who complete middle school are likely to complete secondary education compared to 62 per cent at the national level. For children above the age group of 17 years, the education attainment of Muslims at matriculation is 17 per cent as against national average of 26 per cent. Madrasas are an important community initiative, but their reach is very limited; less than 4 per cent school going Muslim children go to Madrasas. The report has also drawn low levels of educational attainment among Muslim women, Muslims in rural areas as well as in technical and higher education. Furthermore, availability of Urdu schools is very limited.

New 15-Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities, 2006

A need was felt to review and recast the 15-point programme for Minorities, to sharply focus action on issues intimately linked to the social, educational, and economic uplift of the minorities. While points relating to prevention of communal riots and provision of relief to riot victims continue to have an important place in the revised programme, there are additional points more closely linked with the development of backward minorities, relating specifically to employment, education, and improved living conditions. It was felt that the new 15-Point programme was necessary because of the gaps in the previous programme with regard to the amelioration of the socio-economic conditions and enhancement of the socio-economic status of the minority groups. Education is seen as a necessary intervention to address problems of backwardness of any community.

Major Initiatives for School Educational Advancement of Minorities

To address the low participation of the minorities, especially Muslims who are the largest section of the educationally backward minorities, in the national education system, the Ministry of Human Resource Development has taken several significant initiatives:-

Introduction 12

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) addresses issues of access, equity, and quality and makes schools open and inclusive in the secular space of our polity. The coverage of the Scheme has been concurrently extended to recognize volunteering Madarsas/Maktabs supported under SSA, as well as those other volunteering Madrasas/Maktabs which may not be registered or recognized but supported under SSA interventions in coordination with State Project Directorates.

Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) is a scheme launched in July 2004, for setting up residential schools at upper primary level for girls belonging predominantly to the SC, ST, OBC, and minority communities. The scheme is being implemented in educationally backward blocks of the country where the female rural literacy is below the national average. The scheme provides for a minimum reservation of 75% of the seats for girls belonging to SC, ST, OBC, or minority communities and priority for the remaining 25% is accorded to girls from families below poverty line.

Scheme for Providing Quality Education for Madaras (SPQEM) and Infrastructure Development of Minorities Institutions (IDMI): The Area Intensive and Madrasa Modernization Programme was recast in 2008 as two schemes, namely, the Scheme for Providing Quality Education in Madrasa (SPQEM) and Infrastructure Development of Private Aided/Unaided Minority Institutions (IDMI) for Elementary Secondary/Senior Secondary Schools.

Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA): provides coverage of special focus groups viz. girls education, children belonging to SC, ST, OBC, and educationally Backward Minorities was launched in March, 2009 with the objective to enhance access to secondary education and improve its quality.

Scholarship Schemes for Minority Students: The Ministry of Minority Affairs implements three Scholarship Schemes and one Fellowship Scheme for the Educational Empowerment of students belonging to the minority communities at present i.e. Pre-matric Scholarship Scheme, Post-matric Scholarship Scheme, Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship Scheme and Maulana Azad National Fellowship. Online Scholarship Management System (OSMS) has been put in place for the two Scholarship Schemes

Introduction 13

namely Post-matric and Merit-cum-means based Scholarship. Maulana Azad National Fellowship being implemented by University Grants Commission is also administrated online.

Muslims in Tamil Nadu

The Muslims form one of the major social groups and are sparsely settled in different parts of Tamil Nadu. In the beginning, the contact of the Arab traders led to Muslim settlement in some parts of the Tamil country. The followers of Islam or Muslims living in the state of Tamil Nadu in India were divided among the lines of religious doctrine, class and language. A large number of them speak the Tamil language. However, in the northern parts of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, mainly in the city of Chennai, Chengelpet, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Vellore, Salem, and Tiruchirapalli district, a small but substantial section of them speak the Urdu language. Table 1.2 shows the religion wise population according to 2011 census data.

Table 1 2: Muslim Population - 2001 and 2011 Census

2001 2011

India/State/ % of S.No % of District Total Muslim Total Muslim Muslim Muslim Population Population Population Population Population Population

1 India 1,028,610,328 138,188,240 13.40 121,08,54,977 17,22,45,158 14.23

2 Tamil Nadu 6,24,05,679 34,70,647 5.56 7,21,47,030 42,29,479 5.86

Source: Census of India 2001 and 2011.

Table 1.2 shows the population of the various communities living in the State of Tamilnadu. Muslims constitute close to 6 percent of the total population of Tamil Nadu. They are mainly concentrated in the districts of Ramanathapuram, Villupuram, Thanjavur, Vellore, Tuticorin, Madurai, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, and Trirunelveli. Among the Muslims, 97.5 per cent are Sunnis and the rest are Shias. Introduction 14

Table 1.3 shows the population of the various religious communities in Tamil Nadu. Three major religious population registered major share. They are Hindus (87.55%), Christians (6.12%), and Muslims (5.86%). The growth rate of the population is very high among Muslims (21.86).

Table 1.3: Population of various religious Communities in Tamil Nadu Population Population Growth Religion - 2001 Percentage - 2011 Percentage Rate (In Lakhs) (In Lakhs) Hindu 549.85 88.11 631.88 87.58 14.92 Muslim 34.71 5.56 42.29 5.86 21.86 Christian 37.85 6.07 44.18 6.12 16.73 Sikh 0.10 0.02 0.15 0.02 52.97 Buddhist 0.05 0.01 0.11 0.02 107.42 Jain 0.83 0.13 0.89 0.12 7.09 Other Religions 0.07 0.01 0.07 0.01 2.23 Religion Not Stated 0.59 0.10 1.89 0.26 217.78 Total 624.06 100 721.47 100 15.61 Source: Census of India 2001 and 2011.

Muslim Education in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is one of the most literate states in India. The state performed reasonably in terms of literacy growth during the decade 2001–2011. The literacy rate in Tamil Nadu is 80.09 percent as per 2011 population census. Of that, male literacy stands at 86.77 percent, while female literacy is at 73.44 percent. In 2011, the literacy rate in Tamil Nadu stood at 73.45 percent of which male and female were 82.42 percent and 64.43 percent literate respectively.

The performance of Tamil Nadu in the field of human development, especially in elementary education, has been notable throughout the last decade. It has already achieved the goal of universal access to elementary education, with 100 percent of habitations covered by a primary school within 1 km radius. It is also close to achieving the target of universal enrolment and retention, and can now concentrate on improving quality. However, dropouts could be witnesses among the disadvantaged groups, especially among Muslim children. As per ASER literacy survey, Tamil Nadu has one of the lowest

Introduction 15 percentages of out of school children and ranked 5th after Kerala, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, and Pondicherry. Thus, Tamil Nadu does not have a problem of attracting children to school and retaining them. The drop-out rate in primary and upper primary schools in Tamil Nadu was also among the lowest in India. Rural areas of Tamil Nadu do not have any severe shortfall in terms of physical facilities, and access of population to primary education is pretty good.

Tamil Nadu needs to pay greater attention to two key aspects: one, to get all the children from the poor families and special focus groups, such as Muslim girls and children from the SC and ST communities that are out of school, and two, to strive harder to attain and sustain higher levels of quality in their primary schools. The quality can be achieved through a drastic change in the learning methods and techniques, making classroom activities more experimental and enjoyable for the children, improved teacher training, and of course upgrading the school infrastructure.

Reasons for Backwardness of Muslims in the State of Tamil Nadu

Discrimination sure could be a problem, but there are plenty of other factors that are larger.

Occupational disparities: Muslims have historically chosen occupations in trades, that tend to have a very unequal wealth distribution. A significant proportion of Muslims are self-employed (primarily as street vendors, shopkeepers, etc.,), and among the rest, a good chunk are concentrated in informal sectors resulting in a whole bunch of lower level actors living in poverty. Urban Hindus, especially the upper castes, have historically chosen low risk professions such as engineering, management, and medicine.

Gender disparities: Early marriage is one of causes of lower educational level of women, which seriously affects the awareness level of women about the environment, and health. Early Pregnancy and early motherhood lead to a chain of health problems. Muslim women cannot come to the mainstream and get exposed to the society in general. Most of the Muslim girls are not sent to schools after puberty. Further, the Muslim women have among

Introduction 16 the lowest labor force participation in the state. When half the community is significantly hampered by both religious & social rules, the development numbers are bound to be low.

Higher fertility rates: In many Indian communities, fertility rates (number of kids/woman) have been reducing substantially. This is especially true of urban middle classes. However, fertility rates among Muslims have not reduced significantly, and are among the highest in Indian communities. This means the vicious cycle of high birth rates -poorer education - high birth rates is quite strong in the Muslim community.

Religious Reforms Reformers such as Bharathiar, Periyar, Kamaraj, Anna, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ambedkar, and Mahatma Gandhi helped push out many of the bad ideas such as untouchability, women suppression etc., out of the 19th century Hinduism. This helped a portion of Hindus to move up faster in education and other spheres. However, Indian Muslims did not have similar religious reform movements from within.

Grip of extreme religious leaders: A community which did not have very influential political leaders it could trust naturally turned to religious leaders. Somehow the religious leaders did not promote the poor Muslims to join the main stream activities of the society. Hence Muslim children attended religious schools for a few years, and then went off to lead their lives with few employable skills. This meant no employment and hardly any prospect for advancement. The poor got sucked into the poverty trap in view of their larger families resulting in the backwardness of the Muslims.

State Government Initiatives to Eradicate Education Backwardness among Muslims

The Government of Tamil Nadu is totally committed for the uplift and well-being of the Minorities. The Government constantly reviews the implementation of the welfare measures for the Minorities. It is very keen to promote the education of the Minorities, especially girls, as it will bring about a number of changes in the lives of these children. The Government of Tamil Nadu strongly believes that the education and empowerment of minority students will bring forth an egalitarian society and positive changes in the society that are equitable, permanent, and long lasting. The major portion of the Budget allotment has been spent for their educational advancement. The Government is providing hostel

Introduction 17 facilities for students belonging to Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes, Denotified Communities, and Minorities in all the districts. Besides, various scholarship schemes are being implemented to provide financial support to poor students. To motivate and create competitiveness among the students, prizes are awarded, and uniforms and bicycles are distributed free of cost. The Government has taken up a massive programme for the construction of hostel buildings to all the Hostels which are functioning in private rental buildings. The Government of Tamil Nadu has been taking proactive roles in the education of minorities especially girls. Some of them are presented below:

Separate Reservation for Minorities

Based on the recommendations of the Tamil Nadu Backward Classes Commission, an Act providing 3.5% for the backward class Muslims, with effect from 15.09.2007, for admission in educational institutions and employment opportunities was enacted. Subsequently, accepting the demands raised by the representatives of the Christian Communities stating that they are affected due to the separate reservation, the Act was amended by withdrawing the separate reservation provided to them. 30% vacancies are reserved for women. This effort may be a further step to bring about equality in the society.

Grant-in-aid and Other Welfare Measures for minority Schools

At present, there are 2627 Minority Primary Schools, 662 Minority Middle Schools, 364 Minority High Schools, and 560 Minority Higher Secondary Schools in the State. The Government of Tamil Nadu provides grant-in-aid to these schools. The Government from the year 2006-2007 to 2010-2011, upgraded 179 Minority primary schools run by Christians. The teacher vacancies in such schools are filled by the qualified persons belonging to the same religion.

Linguistic Minority Schools in Tamil Nadu

The Government of Tamil Nadu is very considerate in offering minority languages as the medium of instruction for the benefit of the linguistic minority students to study in their own languages. In Tamil Nadu, there are 375 primary, 112 middle, 47 high, and 49 higher secondary schools offering Telugu medium, 73 primary, 34 middle, 23 high, and 38 higher

Introduction 18 secondary schools offering Malayalam medium, 49 primary, 10 middle, 3 high, and 5 higher secondary schools offering Kannada medium, and 163 primary, 62 middle, 8 high, and 18 higher secondary schools offering Urdu medium. The Tamil Nadu Textbook Corporation develops textbooks in Minority languages viz. Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Urdu for the classes Ist -Xth for the benefit of the minority students to study in their own languages. Under the Common Syllabus for Equitable Education System, textbooks for the classes I and X have been developed in minority languages for the benefit of these students. The minority students enjoy the benefits of free text books, Chief Minister’s Nutritious Noon Meal Scheme, free uniforms, free bus pass, along with other students.

Scholarships for Minority Students

Nearly 95% of Muslims in the State are recognized as the Backward Class and 80% of Christians are declared as the Backward Classes and Most Backward Classes. Thus, they become eligible to enjoy the benefits of various scholarship schemes implemented by the Departments of the Backward Classes Welfare and the Most Backward Classes Welfare. Besides, the scholarship schemes offered by the State Government, and the scholarship schemes sponsored by the Central Government for the minorities are also implemented in the state effectively.

Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme

Pre-Matric Scholarship to the students of Minority communities studying in 1st to 10th Std. has been sponsored by the Central Government since 2008-2009. Under this scheme, students of Minority Communities studying in 6th to 10th Std., whose parental annual income is within Rs.1 Lakh are sanctioned with admission fees up to a maximum of Rs.500/- p.a. and tuition fee up to a maximum of Rs. 3,500/- p.a. Apart from this, the hostel students studying in 6th to 10th std. are granted maintenance allowance for 10 months in a year at the given maintenance allowance at the rate of Rs.100/- p.m. for 10 months. The students applying for the scholarship should have scored 50% marks in the previous year examination. 30% of the scholarship is earmarked for girl students. The number of beneficiaries in the year 2010-11 is 1,71,643 and the amount spent is 19.02 crores.

Introduction 19

Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme

Post-Matric Scholarship are given to the students of Minority Communities studying from 11th Std. to Research studies in the Government and recognized Private Schools and colleges in order to provide opportunity to the economically backward and eligible minority students to get higher education.

Merit-Cum Means Based Scholarship Scheme

This scheme is being implemented with 100% Central assistance from 2007-2008 onwards. Under the scheme, scholarships are sanctioned to minority students pursuing under graduate and post graduate studies in technical and professional courses in the Government and Government approved Private Colleges.

School and college Hostels for Muslim Girl Students

Five schools cum college hostels were established in 2008-2009 for the benefit of Muslim girl students in Dindigul, Vellore, Coimbatore, Trichirappalli, and Tirunelveli Districts. An additional hostel at Kadayanallur, Tirunelveli District has been established in 2010-11. 25 School girls and 25 college girls are accommodated in each of these hostels. The Annual income ceiling of the parents of the students for admission in the Hostels is Rs.1,00,000/-.

Scheme of Awarding Prizes to the Students Belonging to Minority Communities

A scheme of awarding of Prizes at State and District levels to the Minority Community students securing the highest marks in 10th and 12th Std. Government Public examination was introduced by the Government of Tamil Nadu in 2008-2009 in order to motivate their interest in learning.

State Level Prizes

Under the scheme, both the boys and girls of the minority community securing first, second, and third places at the State Level in the 12th Std. and 10th Std. Public examinations are awarded. In respect of 12th Std. first, second, and third prizes are awarded at the rate of Rs.50,000/- Rs.30,000/-, and Rs.20,000/- respectively. In respect of

Introduction 20

10th Std, the prizes are given at the rate of Rs.25,000/- Rs.20,000/-, and Rs.15,000/- respectively.

District Level Prizes

Under the scheme, both the boys and girls belonging to the minority community securing first, second, and third places at the District Level in the 12th Std. and 10th Std. Public examination are awarded. In respect of 10th Std., the first, second, and third prizes are given at the rate of Rs.1500/-, Rs.1000/-, and Rs.500/- respectively. In respect of 12th Std., the above prizes are given at the rate of Rs.3000/- Rs.2000/-, and Rs.1000/- respectively. In case, the first, second, and third marks are secured by more than one student at the State and the District levels, they are also awarded prizes by increasing the number of prizes.

Award Scheme to Students Studying Urdu Language

The Government awards prizes to three boys and three girls who secure the highest marks in 10th and 12th Std. Public examinations with Urdu as the second language in order to safeguard the languages of minorities. Under this scheme, prizes of Rs.3000/- Rs.2000/-, and Rs.1000/- are awarded to the first 3 boys and the first 3 girl students who secure the highest marks in 12th Std. public examination. Similarly, in respect of 10th Std., the students are awarded Rs.2000/-, Rs.1500/-, and Rs. 1000/- respectively. If same marks are secured by more than one student, the prizes are awarded to all them.

Promotion of Education of Minority Girls through Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

Tamil Nadu has been making various efforts to promote the education of minority girls. Under the National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL), launched in September 2003, additional provisions for enhancing the education of under privileged/disadvantaged girls at elementary level through more intensive community mobilization, development of model schools in clusters, gender sensitization of teachers, development of gender sensitive learning materials, educational facilities, and provision of need based incentives like escorts, stationery, work books & uniforms etc., for girls are being made available in 37 educationally backward blocks (EBBs). Under NPEGEL, 937 model cluster schools have been opened. 710 additional classrooms have been constructed

Introduction 21 and teachers have been given training on gender sensitization, remedial teaching, vocational activities for girls, health education / training, and creating social awareness on dowry, child labour, female infanticide etc. Under this scheme, 5633 minority girls are benefited. The Kasthurba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya was launched in 2004 for setting up residential schools at upper Primary level for girls belonging to SC, ST, OBC, and Minority Communities in EBBs where the female literacy is low. In Tamil Nadu, 54 KGBV Schools are functioning at present, and 7 new KGBV have been sanctioned and they have come into existence from February, 2011. The Scheme provides for a minimum reservation of 75% seats for girls belonging to ST, ST, OBC, or Minority Communities and priority for the remaining 25% is accorded to girls from families below poverty line. The following facilities are made available in these schools for the benefit of girls; Free text books to all girls up to class VIII, separate toilet for girls, back to school camp for out of school girls, and recruitment of 100% women teachers.

Summary

This chapter has presented a broad outline of the minority population, constitutional provisions, Central and State Government programmes, causes for socio-economic and educational backwardness, and recommendations of various committees constituted by the Governments. With this background, the educational status of Muslim children, pattern of availing education, and problems faced by the parents and children are documented in the following chapters.

Introduction 22

CHAPTER II

RESEARCH DESIGN

Statement of the Problem

According to Article 21-A of the Constitution of India, the State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years. The Compulsory Elementary Education Act has been enacted in the year 1994 to enroll all school age children into schools. The State Government has been according top priority to achieve the goal of "Education for all." Various welfare schemes implemented by the State Governments have led to significant achievement not only in the enrolment and retention of students, but also in the reduction of dropouts.

The government has put in place policies and schemes to tackle hurdles relating to the educational backwardness such as poverty, gender, social exclusion, and language. Some of the effective schemes include removal of school fees, free textbooks, free uniforms, scholarships, subsidized transport, and provision of cooked mid-day meals. All these measures have reduced costs of education and benefitted the poor parents. Further, access to schools has improved substantially due to opening of new schools and investing in school buildings, additional rooms, and facilities such as toilets and ramps.

While these have benefitted all children in school going age, to help the educationally disadvantaged groups the Government now shifted its focuses from educationally backward states to educationally backward districts, and to educationally backward communities. The policies have been reflective, and at present are addressing different dimensions of exclusion. The focus has now narrowed down to bringing particular “hard to reach” groups within the schooling process. Thus, targeted programmes are developed to address the problems of special groups like older girls in disadvantaged groups, migrant children, minorities etc. One of the significant findings of a new report commissioned by the Ministry of Human Resource Development is that Muslim enrolment both at the primary and upper primary levels of education, is poor. This is so even in states that have

Research Design 23 performed well in school education. Government data on the Muslim community's enrolment in schools, confirms what the Sachar Committee report indicated about their educational status, in late-2006. The findings showed that Muslims were the most educationally backward community in the country. Thus this is an opportune time to focus on the linkages between schooling and religion, given the ongoing educational transitions in India and the recent concern over religious edicts on female education. Under these circumstances, an attempt has been made in this project to conduct a survey to assess the factors influencing the Primary and middle level school enrolments and dropouts among Muslims in the Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts of Tamil Nadu.

Research Questions

Any field survey on Muslim education, would try to explore a few well crystalized views about the community. They are:

1. Dropouts in primary and middle level are high among Muslim community. 2. Religious taboo plays a major role in enrolments and dropouts. 3. Socio-Cultural characteristics of the Muslims are likely to exert their influence on their perception on school education. 4. Economic and living conditions are likely to influence the primary and middle level school enrolment and incidence of dropout among Muslims.

However, these views require concrete evidences for validation. Hence the present study has been undertaken.

Objectives

1. To examine the enrolment, and dropouts of Muslim students at Primary (1-5 Standards) and middle (6-8 Standards) levels in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts of Tamil Nadu. 2. To identify the never-enrolled Muslim children in the study area and to examine the reasons thereof.

Research Design 24

3. To investigate the socio-cultural, economic and demographic factors are that involved in the enrolment and dropout among the Muslims. 4. To explore the perceptions of the Muslim community on school education system. 5. To advocate certain policies to increase the enrolment among the Muslim community, thereby to achieve the MDGs goal on education.

Research Design

Selection of Study area: Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts have been proposed to select for this study. These districts of Tamil Nadu are the backward districts and have sizeable proportion of Muslim population. A brief profile on the study area is given at the end of this chapter.

Sampling Design: A total of 150 parents were selected from the districts of Cuddalore and Nagapattinam. Simple random sampling technique has been used for the selection of the respondents. Table 2.1 gives the parameters used in the Sampling Design, and Table 2.2 illustrates the different phases adopted in the proposed methodology.

Table 2.1: Sampling Parameters Households Type of School No. of Schools No. of Parents representing Children Primary 27 70 106 Middle 17 34 61 Secondary 6 25 39 Higher Secondary 15 21 27 Total 65 150 233

Table 2.2: Methodology Phase Detail Muslim student enrolment details obtained from CEO and CEO-SSA of I Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts. Cuddalore = 1,706 Schools, Nagapattinam 1,485 Schools.

Research Design 25

Schools were identified on the basis of number of Muslim students enrolled. Totally 65 schools were surveyed, out of which 29 are private aided schools, 9 II are Government schools 5 are Municipal, and 22 are Panchayat Union schools. Depending on the Muslim strength of each school, 2 to 3 parents have been III identified. A total of 150 parents were surveyed. Totally 150 households were identified and surveyed. These households IV represent 233 children studying at different levels.

Data Collection: Since the study focuses on both quantitative and qualitative research, an attempt is made to collect qualitative and quantitative data from the school administrators and parents in the study areas.

Qualitative data collection: The study team has collected the personal and community behavioral data of Muslim parents through the specially designed tools, which enhance the consistency and validity of the gathered information. As the first step of the research, the qualitative data was gathered from the selected schools in each district. At least 2 key informants were interviewed at each school to collect information on the student’s enrollments, dropouts, Muslim community’s perceptions on school education system, socio-cultural, economic, and demographic conditions of that locality and to learn about religious taboo in relation to sending the girls to schools.

In-depth interviews with parents (10 to15) were used to get detailed information about key aspects of perception and attitude towards educating children in order to get descriptive materials concerning special situations and socio-cultural and economic patterns related to school dropouts. Focus Group Discussions were conducted with school administrators and Muslim parents.

Quantitative data collection: A detailed survey schedule administered through trained interviewers of Muslims to collect the information on social, cultural, economic, and demographic characteristics, perception, knowledge, and attitude towards school education systems. Simple random sampling technique was used for the selection of the respondents.

Research Design 26

Data Analysis: The data analysis of the quantitative survey include bivariate analysis to examine relationships between the main background and independent variables followed by logistic regression to find out the impact of individuals background characteristics on awareness, perception on school education system and school dropouts, and other dependent variables. The quantitative results are illustrated and supported with quotes and examples from the qualitative, in-depth interview, and focus group discussion materials.

Implications

The present research would be shared with the state and central level policy makers to address the school dropout prevention program by incorporating in the official document, especially to the minority communities. This study improves the level of understanding of importance of education among the Muslim communities and also would suggest avenues for behavioral changes in this minority population. This work would provide an important impetus for both the Government of India and several key donors to give more attention and effort for improve universalize action of elementary education by community- ownership of the school system in this sector of the population.

The Setting: Profile of the Study Area

Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts have been taken up for this study. These districts of Tamil Nadu are the backward districts and they have sizeable proportion of Muslim Population. As regards Muslims, they are comparatively large in number in Nagapattinam than in Cuddalore. The Muslims habitation in Nagapattinam has a Holy Dargah, which is world famous, and thousands of pilgrims visit during festival days. This place is an illustration for religious harmony, where the minorities live in harmony well assimilated in the main stream of social life. Table 2.3 shows the total as well as the Muslim population in the Country, State, as well in the study areas namely Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts.

Population

Table 2.3 gives an outline of total and the Muslim population of 2001 and 2011 for the study areas of Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts as well as the State and Nation.

Research Design 27

During 2001, the proportion of Nation’s Muslim population is 13.40 and it has grown to 14.23 during 2011. Similarly, increase in the proportion of population could be seen in the State as well as in the Districts. The total Muslim population of Tamil Nadu has increased from 34.71 lakhs to 42.29 lakhs during the period. In the case of Cuddalore district, the size of Muslim population increased from 1.03 lakhs to 1.24 lakhs during 2001 and 2011. The proportion is 4.49 during 2001 and 4.75 during 2011. Around 21,000 populations increased in the district Cuddalore. The proportion of population in Nagapattinam District is marginally high compared to Cuddalore District. The area and total population of Nagapattinam is very less, and this district has been bifurcated from erstwhile Thanjavur district during 1991. The size of Muslim population has increased from 1.13 lakhs (2001) to 1.29 lakhs (2011). The proportion of Muslim population has also increased from 7.57 to 7.96 during the period.

Table 2.3: Total and Muslim population as per 2001 and 2011 2001 2011 India/State/ % of % of S.No Total Muslim Total Muslim District Muslim Muslim Population Population Population Population Population Population 1 India 1,028,610,328 138,188,240 13.40 121,08,54,977 17,22,45,158 14.23 2 Tamil Nadu 6,24,05,679 34,70,647 5.56 7,21,47,030 42,29,479 5.86 3 Cuddalore 22,85,395 1,02,508 4.49 26,05,914 1,23,749 4.75 4 Nagapattinam 14,88,839 1,12,753 7.57 16,16,450 1,28,617 7.96 Source: Census of India 2001 and 2011.

Cuddalore District Profile

Cuddalore is one of the backward districts in the State of Tamil Nadu. The district is located along the eastern coastal region of the State. It is bordered by Villupuram, Nagapattinam, and Perambalur districts. The district is also bordered by the Bay of Bengal in the East. It lies in the Agro Climatic Zone II (East Coast plains and hills), and the geographic coordinates of the district are: latitude is 150 11’ to 120 35’, longitude is 780 38’ to 800 0’, and altitude is 4.6m MSL. The total geographical area of the district is 3,678 square kilometers with the coastal line of 68 kilometers stretching from Puducherry Union Territory in the North to the mouth of the River Coleroon in the South. The

Research Design 28 geomorphology of the Cuddalore coastal stretch includes the coastal plain with an average width of 6 km. Its coastal landforms include strandlines, raised beaches, sand dunes, mangrove swamps, and tidal flats with predominantly sandy beaches on the northern side and mangrove swamps on the South. The coastal towns of Cuddalore in the North and Porto Novo (Parangipettai) in the South are the most densely populated along this region. The district of Cuddalore has rich deposits of lignite that helps in the small factories that run in the area. The district is also one of the most robust fishing areas in the state and a home to a large number of fisher populations. The district has links to the first century settlers in this region. The district also has some tourist attractions for the people of Tamil Nadu and for the people from all over India. The Cuddalore district map is given in Fig. 2.1.

Fig. 2.1: Block Map of Cuddalore District

Administrative Set-Up

Cuddalore district was a part of South Arcot district which was bifurcated into Cuddalore and Viluppuram districts in 2001. Kurinjipadi taluk was newly created from Cuddalore taluk as per G.O. (MS) NO.483, Revenue (RA1 (1)), dated 18.12.2009. Cuddalore district consists of 3 Revenue Divisions, 7 Taluks, 13 Community Development Blocks, 5 Municipalities, 16 Town Panchayats, 8 Census Towns, and 1 Township. The total number

Research Design 29 of Revenue Villages in the district is 828, of which 799 villages are inhabited. Table 2.4 gives number of taluks, towns, Community Development Blocks, and villages in Cuddalore district.

Table 2.4: Administrative Divisions of Cuddalore District Name of the Name of the CD No.of Inhabited S.No Towns S.No Taluk Blocks Villages Villages 1 Chidambaram 9 1 Annagramam 42 42 2 Cuddalore 4 2 Cuddalore 61 61 3 Kattumannarkoil 3 3 Kammapuram 63 63 4 Kurinjipadi 3 4 Kattumannarkoil 67 67 5 Panruti 5 5 Keerapalayam 73 73 6 Tittakudi 2 6 Kumaratchi 82 82 7 Virudhachalam 4 7 Kurinjipadi 61 61 8 Mangalore 81 81

9 Melbhuvanagiri 50 50

10 Nallur 74 74

11 Panruti 38 38

12 Parangipettai 47 47

13 Virudhachalam 60 60

Not Under any CD 29 0

Total 30 BlockTotal 828 799

Muslim Population in Cuddalore District

Table 2.5: Taluk wise Muslim Population of Cuddalore District Sub-District / Total Muslim % of Muslim S.No District Population Population Population 1 Panruti 4,13,639 21,609 5.22 2 Cuddalore 4,26,466 13,834 3.24 3 Kurinjipadi 3,31,755 6,917 2.08 4 Chidambaram 4,67,909 29,987 6.41 5 Kattumannarkoil 2,76,947 29,355 10.60 6 Virudhachalam 4,26,592 17,595 4.12 7 Tittakudi 2,62,606 4,452 1.70 Cuddalore District 26,05,914 1,23,749 4.75 Source: Census of India 2011.

Table 2.5 shows taluk wise Muslim population in Cuddalore district during 2011. Of the seven taluk of the district, the proportion is very high in Kattumannarkoil taluk (10.60) followed by Chidambaram taluk (6.41) and Panruti taluk (5.22). In the rest of taluks, the proportion of Muslim population is in the range of 1.70 to 4.12. Overall, the district Muslim population is 4.75 percent. Cuddalore District ranked 11th place among the highest population in the State. Of the total population in the district, 34% lives in urban areas.

Research Design 30

The population density of the District is 702 persons per Sq.km in 2011, when compared to 621 during 2001. The district recorded the lowest Child Sex Ratio of 896 in the State. Overall, sex ratio of Cuddalore district is 986 and 987 between 2001 and 2011. The percentage of literacy has increased from 71.01 % in 2001 to 78.04 % in 2011.

Nagapattinam District Profile

Part of Nagapattinam district lies on the East coast to the South of Cuddalore district and another part of the district lies to the South of Karaikkal and Tiruvarur districts. This peninsular delta district is bounded by the Bay of Bengal on the East, Palk Strait on the South, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts on the West, and Cuddalore district on the South. The geographical extent of the district is 2569 Sq. kms and covers 1.97 % of the total area of Tamil Nadu. The district lies on the shores of the Bay of Bengal between northern latitude 10.10' and 11.20' and eastern longitude 79.15' and 79.50'. It has a 187.9 km long coastline, stretching from Kodiyampalayam in the North to Kodiyakarai in the South, which constitutes about 15 per cent of the coastline of Tamil Nadu. The Nagapattinam district map is give in Fig. 2.2.

Fig. 2.2: Block Map of Nagapattinam District Research Design 31

Administrative Set-Up

Nagapattinam district was carved out of erstwhile Thanjavur district on October 18, 1991. Subsequently, it was bifurcated in 1997 as Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur districts. For the administrative convenience, Nagapattinam district is divided in to 2 Revenue Divisions namely Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai with 491 Revenue Villages. Of these villages, 486 are inhabited. There are 8 Taluks, 4 Municipalities, 8 Town Panchayats, and 2 Census Towns in this district. Kuthalam taluk is newly created by bifurcating Mayiladuthurai taluk from November, 2009, as per G.O.Ms No.444, dated 25.11.2009. This district is constituted with 11 Community Development Blocks and 434 Village Panchayats. Table 2.6 gives the number of taluks, towns, Community Development Blocks, and villages in the district.

Table 2.6: Administrative Divisions of Nagapattinam District

Name of the No.of Inhabited S.No Towns S.No Name of the CD Blocks Taluk Villages Villages

Keelaiyur 1 Kilvelur 2 1 28 28

2 Kuthalam 1 2 Kilvelur 42 42

3 Mayiladuthurai 2 3 Kollidam 43 43

4 Nagapattinam 4 4 Kuthalam 65 64

5 Sirkali 2 5 Mayiladuthurai 59 59

6 Tharangambadi 1 6 Nagapattinam 30 30

7 Thirukkuvalai 0 7 Sembanarkoil 63 62

8 Vedaranyam 2 8 Sirkali 39 39

9 Thalainayar 28 28

10 Thirumarugal 53 53

11 Vedaranyam 38 38 Not Under any CD Block 3 0

Total 14 Total 491 486

Research Design 32

Muslim Population in Nagapattinam District

Table 2.7 gives an account of taluk wise Muslim population in Nagapattinam district during 2011. Of the nine taluk of the district, the proportion is very high in Nagapattinam taluk (16.72) followed by Tharangabadi taluk (9.68) and Kuthalam taluk (9.52). In the rest of six taluks, the proportion of Muslim population is in the range of 1.37 to 5.85. Overall, the district Muslim population is 7.96 percent.

Table 2.7: Taluk wise Muslim Population of Nagapattinam Districts Total Muslim % of Muslim S.No Sub-District / District Population Population Population 1 Sirkali 319715 18434 5.77 2 Mayiladuthurai 259634 15196 5.85 3 Kuthalam 131948 12563 9.52 4 Tharangambadi 207059 20037 9.68 6 Nagapattinam 282784 47271 16.72 7 Kilvelur 138474 7266 5.25 8 Thirukkuvalai 60771 833 1.37 9 Vedaranyam 216065 7017 3.25 Nagapattinam District 1,616,450 128,617 7.96 Source: Census of India 2011.

Nagapattinam district ranked 23rd place among the highest population in the State. The district rural population share is 77.4%. The district has population density of 629 persons per sq.km, higher than the State. The district has recorded sex ratio of 1025, 3rd highest among the districts in the State. The district has recorded the literacy rate of 83.6%, higher than the State literacy rate (80.1%). Sirkali taluk has the highest number of inhabited villages (87). The district decadal population growth during 2001- 2011 is 8.6%, lower than the State level.

Conclusion

This chapter has portrayed the problems of Muslim education, objectives, methodology, and the profile of the study areas of Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts. Keeping this as the background information, primary and secondary data were collected as per the survey design mentioned earlier. The data were processed and analyzed and the succeeding chapters present the results, inferences, and policy suggestions.

Research Design 33

CHAPTER III

PROFILE AND STATUS OF SURVEYED SCHOOLS

Introduction

This chapter portrays the profile and status of surveyed schools in the districts of Cuddalore and Nagapattinam. It is expected that this profile would help in examining the school enrolment, dropout, and overall performance of Muslin children studying in these schools.

Enrolment of Muslim Children

Special interventions and strategies have been adopted by the Government to include girls, SC/ST children, working children, children with special needs, urban deprived children, children from minority groups, children living below the poverty line, migratory children and children in the hardest-to-reach groups. These are indeed children who have historically remained excluded from education and are at a high risk of dropping out even after enrolment if special attention is not paid. Table 3.1 shows that there has been a steady increase in the enrolment ratio of the Muslim children over the years both at the National level as well as the State.

Table 3.1: Muslim Children’s Enrolment at Elementary stage at the all India level and the State of Tamil Nadu

Proportion of Muslim (%) Children in Enrolment at Elementary Stage at the India Level and the State of Tamil Nadu

Proportion 07 08 09 11 12 13

------of Muslims State in 2011 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 Census (%)

All India 8.84 9.98 10.51 13.05 12.50 12.79 14.23

Tamil Nadu 3.89 4.75 4.48 5.21 5.50 5.70 5.86 Source: Census of India 2011 and other Survey Reports. Profile and Status of Surveyed Schools 34

Gender and Types of School

Table 3.2 reveals gender wise details of students studying in various types of schools, gender and types of schools in the districts of Cuddalore and Nagapattinam. On classifying the schools under five categories, Adi-dravidar Welfare, Private (Aided/Unaided), Government, Municipal, and Panchayat Union, a few observations emerge:

The Panchayat union schools constitute the majority in both the districts (1014 and 668 respectively). Percentage wise, about 60 percent of schools come under the category in Cuddalore. In Nagapattinam, it is about 45 percent. The reason is obvious that these schools refer to a large number of students, at the primary level. As the strength of student enrolment tapers off at higher levels, the number of schools too declines accordingly.

In both the districts, the private aided/unaided schools constitute a larger number than the government schools. In Nagapattinam district, the private schools are nearly three and half times more in number than the government schools. The Adi-dravida Welfare schools and Municipal schools number more or less the same in both the districts.

Table 3.2: Gender and type of school functioning during 2014-15 in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts

Nature of Schools Cuddalore District Nagapattinam District

School

S.No

Categories - - Co Co Girls Girls Boys Boys No.of Schools education education No.of Schools Government 221 10 20 191 158 3 9 146 1 (12.95) (50.00) (55.56) (11.58) (10.64) (33.33) (40.91) (10.04) Adidravida 2 127 1 2 124 50 0 0 50 Welfare (7.44) (5.00) (5.56) (7.52) (3.37) (0.00) (0.00) (3.44)

Private Aided / 3 283 4 8 271 564 3 9 552 Unaided (16.59) (20.00) (22.22) (16.42) (37.98) (33.33) (40.91) (37.96)

4 Panchayat Union 1014 4 5 1005 668 2 3 663 (59.44) (20.00) (13.89) (60.91) (44.98) (22.22) (13.64) (45.60) 5 Municipality 61 1 1 59 45 1 1 43 (3.58) (5.00) (2.78) (3.58) (3.03) (11.11) (4.55) (2.96) Total 1706 20 36 1650 1485 9 22 1454 (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) Source: CEO, SSA, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam, 2015. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Profile and Status of Surveyed Schools 35

Co-education is found in Panchayat union schools of Cuddalore (61%) and Nagapattinam (46%) districts. About 16 percent of private schools offer co-education in Cuddalore, and 38 percent in Nagapattinam, which is almost twice than that of Cuddalore.

Separate girls schools (under private category) are quite small in number, nearly 8 and 9, whereas there are 20 and 9 Government schools constituting 56 percent and 41 percent respectively. The general pattern suggests that co-education has stabilized itself at all levels, though the government plays a major role in running separate schools for boys and girls.

Schools and Strength of Muslim Students

Table 3.3 shows the type of schools and the strength of Muslim students in these schools during 2014-15 in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts. In total, 1706 schools in Cuddalore and 1485 schools in Nagapattinam District are functioning at different levels.

Table 3.3: Type of Schools and Strength of Muslim Students during 2014-15 in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts Type of Schools and Strength of Muslim Students Cuddalore District Nagapattinam District

Student S.No strength Higher Higher Higher Middle Middle Primary Primary secondary secondary Secondary Secondary No.of Schools No.of Schools No.of 1 < 50 1663 1078 332 115 138 1381 927 247 130 77 (97.48) (99.54) (97.36) (83.33) (95.83) (93.00) (97.27) (97.24) (86.67) (60.16) 2 51 - 100 21 4 5 10 2 36 11 6 5 14 (1.23) (0.37) (1.47) (7.25) (1.39) (2.42) (1.15) (2.36) (3.33) (10.94) 3 101 - 150 12 1 4 5 2 21 4 1 9 7 (0.70) (0.09) (1.17) (3.62) (1.39) (1.41) (0.42) (0.39) (6.00) (5.47) 4 151 - 200 3 0 0 2 1 11 6 0 1 4 (0.18) (0.00) (0.00) (1.45) (0.69) (0.74) (0.63) (0.00) (0.67) (3.13) 201 - and 5 7 0 0 6 1 36 5 0 5 26 Above (0.41) (0.00) (0.00) (4.35) (0.69) (2.42) (0.52) (0.00) (3.33) (20.31)

Total 1706 1083 341 138 144 1485 953 254 150 128 (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) Source: CEO, SSA, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam, 2015. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Profile and Status of Surveyed Schools 36

Muslim students enrolled in numbers range from less than 50 to 200 and above. It is conspicuous that most of the schools have admitted less than 50 students at all levels in both the districts. At higher ranges of strength, the schools enrolling Muslim students are relatively less in both the districts. However, in Nagapattinam, one fifth of schools have more than 20 per cent of Muslim students, whereas in Cuddalore, only one school has enrolled more than 200 Muslim children at higher secondary level.

Schools Management and Muslim Students

Table 3.4 reveals management wise total Muslim students during 2014-15 in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts. In total, there are 1,706 schools functioning in Cuddalore district. Of these schools, 21,671students are studying in various types of schools. It is very interesting to note that girls (10,731) are studying in equal number compared to boys (10,940). In the context of management of schools, there are five types of management schools functioning in the district. They are Government (HS/HSS), Adidravida Welfare, Pvt. Aided / Unaided, Panchayat Union, and Municipal schools. The proportion of Private Aided /Unaided (76.27) is very high followed by Government (HS/HSS) schools (12.00) and Panchayat union schools (9.87).

Table 3.4: Management wise Total Muslim Students during 2014-15 in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts Cuddalore District Nagapattinam District S.No Type of Management No.of No.of Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total Schools Schools 1 Government 220 1184 1416 2600 158 985 1001 1986 (HS/HSS) (12.90) (10.82) (13.20) (12.00) (10.64) (8.18) (8.30) (8.240

2 Adidravida Welfare 127 10 8 18 50 7 3 10 (7.440 (0.09) (0.07) (0.08) (3.37) (0.06) (0.02) (0.04) 3 Pvt. Aided / Unaided 283 8539 7989 16528 564 10210 9820 20030 (16.59) (78.05) (74.45) (76.27) (37.98) (84.79) (81.39) (83.08) 1014 1126 2140 4 Panchayat Union 1014 668 622 736 1358 (59.44) (9.27) (10.49) (9.87) (44.98) (5.17) (6.10) (5.63) 193 192 385 5 Municipality 62 45 218 506 724 (3.63) (1.76) (1.79) (1.78) (3.03) (1.81) (4.19) (3.00) 10940 10731 21671 Total 1706 1485 12042 12066 24108 (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) Source: CEO, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam, 2015. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Profile and Status of Surveyed Schools 37

Within the categories of management schools functioning in the district, the proportion of municipal schools is 1.78 and the number is 385. It reveals that the parents expect better quality of education and better infrastructure, and they choose the schools accordingly. In the case of Nagapattinam district, the number of Muslim students is marginally higher (24,108) compared to Cuddalore (21,671). Of the five management categories of schools, significant proportion (83.08) of students studying in Private Aided/Unaided schools. At the next level, 8.24 percent of children are studying in Government (HS/HSS) schools. It shows that the parents believe Private Aided/Unaided management schools would provide good quality of education and they feel that their children are well secured. The boys (12,042) and girls (12,066) are close to equal numbers. It is understood that there is no gender discrimination in providing education to children.

Muslim Students Studying in Primary Schools

Table 3.5 shows Muslim students studying in primary schools under various categories of management during 2014-15 in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts. Juxtaposing the number of students studying in the two districts, there is no uniform picture in choosing the schools by the parents.

Table 3.5: Management wise Primary School Muslim Students during 2014-15 in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts Cuddalore Nagapattinam S.No Type of Management Primary Schools Students Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total 1 Government (HS/HSS) 0 0 0 11 6 17 (0.00) (0.00) (0.00) (0.17) (0.10) (0.13) 2 Adidravida Welfare 3 6 9 3 2 5 (0.06) (0.12) (0.09) (0.05) (0.03) (0.04) 3 Pvt. Aided / Unaided 4225 4085 8310 5812 5485 11297 (86.05) (84.19) (85.13) (90.39) (88.58) (89.50) 4 Panchayat Union 562 622 1184 440 556 996 (11.45) (12.82) (12.13) (6.84) (8.98) (7.89) 5 Municipality 120 139 259 164 143 307 (2.44) (2.86) (2.65) (2.55) (2.31) (2.43) Total 4910 4852 9762 6430 6192 12622 (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) Source: CEO, SSA, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam, 2015. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Profile and Status of Surveyed Schools 38

In the case of Cuddalore district, the proportion of students is very high in the schools of Private Aided / Unaided (85.13) followed by Panchayat union (12.13) and the Municipality (2.65). At the primary level, parents give importance to accessibility rather than quality of education. They choose a different type of school for their children at the next level of education. Hence the picture is somewhat different from that of Nagapattinam district. In the case of gender, the number of girl students (4,852) is marginally low compared to boys (4,910). It shows the awareness of parents in educating children without any gender discrimination.

There were 12,622 Muslim students studying in Nagapattinam district during 2014-15. The number of boys (6,430) is very close to girls (6,192). The proportion of students studying in Private Aided/Unaided is very high (89.50) followed by Panchayat Union schools (7.89) and Municipality schools (2.43). It is interesting to note that the parents believe that Private and Unaided schools provide good quality education and security to their children. They have not given much importance to the fee and fee structure of the schools.

Muslim Students Studying in Middle Schools

Table 3.6 displays Muslim students studying in Middle schools under various categories of management during 2014-15 in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts. Juxtaposing the number of students studying in the two districts, there is no uniform picture in the choice of schools by the parents. In the case of Cuddalore district, the proportion is very high in the schools of Pvt. Aided/Unaided (81.86), followed by the Panchayat Union (16.49) and Municipal schools (1.59). At the Middle school level too parents give more importance to accessibility rather than quality of education.

In the case of gender, the number of girl students (2,771) is low compared to boys (3,027). Even though the number of girl children is low compared to boys, the trend in sending the girl children could be appreciated. It shows the awareness of parents in educating children without any gender discrimination even at the middle level of education. It is observed that the parents try to put their children in schools located in proximity. In general, Muslims live in the form of clusters to show their identity and enjoy mutual benefits from relatives and friends. Choice of schools depends on their experience and demonstration impact.

Profile and Status of Surveyed Schools 39

Table 3.6: Management wise Middle School Muslim Students during 2014-15 in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Cuddalore Nagapattinam S.No Type of Management Middle Schools Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total 0 0 0 329 367 696 1 Government (HS/HSS) (0.00) (0.00) (0.00) (11.92) (13.34) (12.62) 3 1 4 1 0 1 2 Adidravida Welfare (0.10) (0.04) (0.07) (0.04) (0.00) (0.02) 2523 2223 4746 2223 2061 4284 3 Pvt. Aided / Unaided (83.35) (80.22) (81.86) (80.51) (74.89) (77.71) 452 504 956 182 180 362 4 Panchayat Union (14.93) (18.19) (16.49) (6.59) (6.54) (6.57) 49 43 92 26 144 170 5 Municipality (1.62) (1.55) (1.59) (0.94) (5.23) (3.08) 3027 2771 5798 2761 2752 5513 Total (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) Source: CEO, SSA, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam, 2015. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

In total, 5,513 Muslim students were studying in Nagapattinam district during 2014-15 at the middle level. The number of boys (2,761) is very close to girls (2,752). It reveals the child sex ratio of the district among Muslims. The proportion of students studying in Private Aided/Unaided is very high (77.71) followed by Government (HS/HSS) (12.62) and Panchayat Union schools (6.57). The number of students studying at the middle level has significantly come down from the primary level in both the districts.

Muslim Students Studying in Secondary Schools

Table 3.7 exhibits Muslim students studying in secondary schools under various categories of management during 2014-15 in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts. There are 6,111 students studying in the secondary level schools in Cuddalore district. Among the five categories of management schools, students are studying only in Private Aided/Unaided (56.82%) and Government (HS/HSS) (42.55%)

It is understood that the students intend to continue in the same schools for continuing education at higher level, if facility is available. Since they have been accustomed to the teachers and fellow students, they try to stay in the same schools for completing their education.

Profile and Status of Surveyed Schools 40

A different picture is noticed in Nagapattinam district. In this district, 75 percent of the students are studying in Private Aided/Unaided followed by Government (HS/HSS) (21.16%) and Municipal schools (3.58%). It could be concluded that the parents and students choose the schools in terms of accessibility, transportation facilities, familiarity, and the performance of the schools in 10th and 12th standards.

Table 3.7: Management wise Secondary School Muslim Students during 2014-15 in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Cuddalore Nagapattinam S.No Type of Management Secondary Schools Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total 1184 1416 2600 406 357 763 1 Government (HS/HSS) (39.43) (45.56) (42.55) (23.00) (19.39) (21.16) 4 1 5 3 1 4 2 Adidravida Welfare (0.13) (0.03) (0.08) (0.17) (0.05) (0.11) 3 Pvt. Aided / Unaided 1791 1681 3472 1345 1365 2710 (59.64) (54.09) (56.82) (76.20) (74.14) (75.15) 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 Panchayat Union (0.00) (0.00) (0.00) (0.00) (0.00) (0.00) 5 Municipality 24 10 34 11 118 129 (0.80) (0.32) (0.56) (0.62) (6.41) (3.58) 3003 3108 6111 1765 1841 3606 Total (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) Source: CEO, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam, 2015. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Children with Special Needs

Table 3.8 shows the children with special needs in the districts of Cuddalore and Nagapattinam. It reveals that the government has given special importance to the children of special needs, inclusive of providing home based education. Under this process, all children have been brought to the schools. It is interesting to note that there is no out of school children in both the districts.

Table 3.8: Muslim CWSN in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts Nagapattinam District Cuddalore District Children with Special Needs No. of Muslim Children CWSN - (2014-15) CWSN –(2014-15) Male Female Total Male Female Total Total 118 115 233 87 53 140 Source: SSA, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam, 2014-15.

Profile and Status of Surveyed Schools 41

Box 3.1: Partially Abandoned Children In the Municipal School, Nagore, 26 Muslim children who are partially and fully socially abandoned are studying. Most of the parents have come out of their houses due to various reasons such as family disputes, divorces, mental instabilities, second or third marriage, illegal affairs, and so on. They stay in the nearby Dargah to meet their daily needs. These people are helped by the public and others visiting the Dargah. Twenty six children of these destitutes are studying in this school.

Study Team interacting with Abandoned Children in The Municipal, School, Nagore.

The children are themselves mentally not stable, and due to hunger and other constraints, they are not inclined towards studies. However, the teachers’ pay special attention, and moved by their pitiable condition, sometimes help the children to cherish their childhood pleasures by buying sweets, ice cream, and other eatables occasionally.

Further, the facilities in the school are also not up to the standard. On seeing the condition of the students as well as the poor facilities existing in the school, the parents of other children living in this locality are excluding this school, and try to put their wards in other private schools. The study team has made a personal visit to the school and interacted with students and teachers. AEEO, Mrs. Vimala and the HM of the school briefed the condition and status of the school. They felt that the abandoned children should be taken care of in a much better way to avoid dropout, as these children are more vulnerable to come out of the mainstream.

Profile and Status of Surveyed Schools 42

Major Reasons for Dropout of Muslim Children

Table 3.9 shows the major reasons for dropout in Muslim school children. In primary and middle schools, dropouts have been reported in 29 and 27 schools respectively, totaling just 56 together. This is a very large number, as there are 1706 and 1485 schools in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts. The number of dropout cases has been more or less the same for both the districts. Regarding the reasons behind the dropouts, most of the students have discontinued for they lacked interest in studies (about 70 percent); 10 cases (about 18 percent) have faced difficulties in learning; it is informed that 2 or 3 students in the total have left their studies, in view of economic compulsion or migration of favorable living elsewhere. In the same way, 2 have reported that they gave up studies to become domestic help. Table 3.9: Major Reasons for Dropout in Muslim school Children in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts Type of Major Reasons Total Schools

Girls S.No Boys No.of Schools No.of Migration Household Household Lack of Interest Lack of Economic Compulsion Economic work/Domestic Labour work/Domestic Difficulties in Learning Difficulties

1 Primary 29 16 13 21 4 1 1 2 29 (100) (55.17) (44.83) (72.41) (13.79) (3.45) (3.45) (6.90) (100)

2 Middle 27 14 13 18 6 1 2 0 27 (100) (51.85) (48.15) (66.67) (22.22) (3.70) (7.41) (0.00) (100)

Total 56 30 26 39 10 2 3 2 56 (100) (53.57) (46.43) (69.64) (17.86) (3.57) (5.36) (3.57) (100)

Source: CEO, SSA, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam, 2015.

Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Profile and Status of Surveyed Schools 43

Conclusion

This chapter has portrayed the pattern of enrollment in the five categories of schools functioning in the districts of Cuddalore and Nagapattinam. It is interesting to note that all the eligible school going children are enrolled in the schools, and there is no incidence of out of school children in both the districts. This can be treated as a great achievement of the education department, to have tracked all the eligible students and putting them in schools. However, the population divide varies between the districts. Although, the two districts have more or less the same level of population, they show a significant variation in the enrolment of children in schools. It could be seen that the enrolment of Muslim children studying at different levels gradually falls from primary to higher secondary levels in both the districts. Of course similar picture is noticed in the category of other students as well. This is due to various reasons such as poor transition rates at the secondary level, accessibility issues, such as commuting large distances especially for Muslim girls. Further poverty paves way for the high rate of drop outs of Muslim children, who opt for employment instead of pursuing further studies and lack of Urdu medium schools in certain places where there is a heavy concentration of Urdu speaking Muslims.

Profile and Status of Surveyed Schools 44

CHAPTER IV

PERCEPTION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS ON MUSLIM CHILDREN EDUCATION

Introduction

This chapter portrays the perception of School Administrators of various management categories in the study Districts of Cuddalore and Nagapattinam. It is expected that the administrators namely Headmasters or Senior Teachers working in the schools would have enough experience and exposure in the functioning of schools and thus they could suggest concrete policies in providing education to the minorities of Muslims. Totally 65 schools were surveyed, out of which 29 are Private Aided schools, 9 are Government schools, 5 are Municipality schools, and 22 are Panchayat Union schools.

Details of Surveyed Schools

Table 4.1 presents broad information on the distribution of Muslim children in the four types of schools, viz., Private Aided, Government, Municipal and Panchayat schools.

Table 4.1: Percentage of Surveyed Muslim School Children during 2014 Total No.of No.of Muslim Total Percentage School No.of Children Children S.No Categories Surveyed Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Schools

1 Private Aided 29 13849 11852 1465 1449 10.58 12.23

2 Government 9 1459 2391 365 573 25.00 23.96

3 Municipality 5 257 274 77 103 29.96 37.59

4 Panchayat Union 22 1674 1745 705 762 42.11 43.67

Total 65 17239 16262 2612 2887 15.15 17.75 Source: Computed from the Surveyed Schools.

Perception of School Administrators 45

Of the total enrollment, Muslim boys and girls constitute 15.15 per cent and 17.75 per cent respectively. Among the categories, Panchayat Union schools accommodate 42 percent of boys and 44 per cent of girls. Muslim boys and girls enrolled in Municipal school is 30 per cent and 38 per cent respectively. The enrollment in Government schools is still less, just around one out of every four boys/girls.

Box 4.1: Extraordinary Efforts by Teachers and Outstanding performances by Students The parents expressed satisfaction over their children’s performance both at school and at home. The parents appreciated the efforts made by the school administration and the teachers. The study has shown that the quality of education has improved over the years and this case study of a Muslim Majority school is a testimony for the same. The Panchayat Union Middle School, Kollakudi, has totally 215 students in its roll and 99% of the students are Muslim children. According to the Headmistress R. Sridevi, the students are performing very well due to the untiring efforts by the teachers. This could be witnessed in terms of the laurels accomplished by the children of this school. The school has won the VEC award for the year 2008-09 and has received A Grade. Some outstanding performances of the students of this school are listed below.

Palgees beevi is an outstanding student and has received the National Minority Merit Scholarship. She is very fluent in studying English and she could read 256 English words in one minute and always stood first in class. She is a multi-talented student who can read and write without making mistakes. She also excels in other co-curricular activities such as music, drawing, and elocution. A few drawings for which Palgees won prizes are given above. The Table below gives the account of other accomplishments by the students of the Panchayat Union Middle School, Kollakudi. 1 S. Sellakani Won II prize in the State level Drawing Competition(2010-11) 2 S.Rijivanullah Won The Inspire Award (2010-11) 3 Anees Fathima (Old Passed out Student) Obtained 474/500, School First in SSLC Exam from Lalpet Higher Secondary School (2012-13) 4 M. Faridha Jannath (Old Passed out Student) Obtained 452/500, School Second in SSLC Exam from Lalpet Higher Secondary School (2012-13) 5 M. Palgees Beevi Last year passed out student (2013-14). Currently studying in Lalpet Higher Secondary School. Recipient of NMMS Scholarship. A multi- talented student who has won many prizes. These records are indicative of the untiring efforts of the teachers and School administration of the Muslim minority schools in bringing them on par with other schools in the district.

Perception of School Administrators 46

Dropouts registered during last ten years

The family’s ethnic or social status also influences the drop-out rate. Health and general nutrition of the individual child may also influence it. If a child is in poor health, her school attendance is affected. Later, she becomes habituated to poor attendance that eventually leads to dropping out from school. Even if a child attends regularly, the child may not be able to give sufficient attention to the class lessons because of physical or mental fatigue, hunger, or undernourishment. Children from poor are homes are under nourished which leads to fatigue and poor concentration, eventually resulting in dropout. All the above factors, both internal and external, act together and lead to eventual completion of the primary cycle or dropping out from it.

Table 4.2: Categories of Surveyed Schools and Dropouts Registered during Last Ten Years Dropouts registered during last Ten No.of years No.of School School Schools S.No Dropouts Categories Surveyed registered Boys Girls Total

1 Private Aided 29 4 22 52 74 (29.73) (70.27) (100) 2 Government 9 2 14 6 20 (70.00) (30.00) (100) 3 Municipality 5 1 1 0 1 (100) (0.00) (100) 4 Panchayat Union 22 1 2 3 5 (40.00) (60.00) (100) Total 65 8 39 61 100 (39.00) (61.00) (100) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Schools. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total. As regards particulars on dropouts, it is revealed that 8 out of 65 schools reported 100 cases of dropout (Table 4.2). Of this, the extent of girls dropping out was greater than that of boys. Approximately, of each 10 dropouts, 6 were girls and 4 were boys. This reveals not so favourable attitude of Muslim parents towards the education of girls. It seems that they do not accord equal priority to girls’ education as they do for boys. Of the 100

Perception of School Administrators 47

dropout children, 74 cases were reported in the Private Aided/Unaided schools. At the next level, 20 cases of dropout are registered in Government schools. Since the dropouts are registered in all categories of schools, it is understood that schools are not only responsible for dropouts, and it is basically the personal and social factors that influence dropping out of schools

Availability of Teachers

Availability of fully qualified and trained teachers would provide good education to the children. The norms in appointing the teachers vary significantly across different types of management schools. Table 4.3 presents the details of the availability of teachers in different categories of schools functioning in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts.

Table 4.3: Availability of Teachers in Different Categories of Schools Total No.of Students No. of Teachers No. of School Pupil School Surveyed Teacher Teacher

S.No Categories Schools Boys Girls Total Male Female Total Ratio Ratio

1 Private Aided 29 13849 11852 25701 236 318 554 1:19 46:1 /Unaided

2 Government 9 1459 2391 3850 83 138 221 1:25 17:1

3 Municipality 5 257 274 531 7 16 23 1:5 23:1

4 Panchayat 22 1674 1745 3419 50 99 149 1:7 23:1 Union

Total 65 17239 16262 33501 376 571 947 1:15 35:1

Source: Computed from the Surveyed Schools. The 65 schools surveyed had on their roll, 947 teachers. While the average number of teachers is 15, it ranges from 5 in municipality schools to 25 in Government schools. The student teacher ratios workouts in these schools are as follows: Private Aided/Unaided: 46:1, Government: 17:1, Municipality: 23:1, and Panchayat Union: 23:1. It shows that the number of students are very high in Private Aided//Unaided schools. The salaries of these

Perception of School Administrators 48

school teachers are far less compared to other categories of schools functioning in these districts.

Education Status of School Administrators

Education status of School Administrators has been processed for the purpose of understanding their levels, capability, and skills. Of the surveyed 65 Administrators, 29 belong to Private Aided/ Unaided schools and 22 represent Panchayat Union schools. At the next level, 9 and 5 Administrators of Government and Municipal schools respectively participated in the survey. Of the 65 administrators surveyed, 39 possessed the PG qualification and 24 had only the UG qualification.

Table 4.4: Level of Education of Surveyed School Administrators in Different Categories of Schools Educational Qualification No.of Surveyed S.No School Categories Administrators UG PG M.Phil

1 Private Aided 29 10 18 1 (100) (34.48) (62.07) (3.45)

2 Government 9 1 7 1 (100) (11.11) (77.78) (11.11)

3 Municipality 5 3 2 0 (100) (60.00) (40.00) (0.00)

4 Panchayat Union 22 10 12 0 (100) (45.45) (54.55) (0.00)

Total 65 24 39 2 (100) (36.92) (60.00) (3.08) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Schools. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total. In certain exceptional cases, 2 teachers have acquired M.Phil qualification, and they work in Private Aided/Unaided and Government schools. It is observed that all the teachers have undergone formal training to impart education to the students. The Educational Level of Surveyed School Administrators is given in Figure. 4.1.

Perception of School Administrators 49

100 77.78 62.07 60 54.55 40 45.45 50 34.48 11.11 11.11 3.45 0 0 UG 0 PG M.Phil Percentage

Type of School

Figure 4.1: Educational Level of Surveyed School Administrators.

Schools and Number of Rooms Available

Types of schools and number of rooms available are presented in Table 4.5. The availability of rooms goes with the needs of the schools concerned. The table shows the different types of schools and the number of rooms available to them for use.

Table 4.5: Types of Schools and Number of Rooms Available of Surveyed Schools No. of No.of Rooms Available S.No Type of School Surveyed Schools < 5 6 - 10 11 - 20 21 and > 1 Primary 27 11 12 3 1 (41.54) (78.57) (57.14) (26.67) (8.33) 2 Middle 17 3 9 3 2 (26.15) (21.43) (42.86) (16.67) (16.67) 3 Secondary 6 0 0 5 1 (9.23) (0.00) (0.00) (27.78) (8.33) 4 Higher Secondary 15 0 0 7 8 (23.08) (0.00) (0.00) (38.89) (66.67) Total 65 14 21 12 12 ( 100) (100) ( 100) (100) ( 100) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Schools. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total. Out of the 27 schools surveyed at the primary level, 12 schools have rooms in the range 6- 10 and 11 schools have less than 5 rooms. Out of the 17, middle schools surveyed, 9 schools have rooms in the 6-10. For the secondary and higher secondary schools, the

Perception of School Administrators 50

surveyed schools have more than 10 rooms. Among the higher secondary schools, 8 out of 15 schools surveyed have more than 21 rooms in tune with their requirement. The infrastructure in these schools has been built through the generous funding of SSA and RMSA. Private schools also have created a good infrastructure, specifically to attract the parents and children. Over the years, the concept of “one school one teacher” has been totally wiped-out, and nowadays every class has a separate room and an individual teacher for providing education without any confusion and avoiding disturbances across the class rooms. This new norm has been gradually adopted in all categories of schools.

Furniture for Students

A good ambience encourages both the teachers and students to perform better in teaching and learning respectively. In this context, an attempt has been made to assess the seating arrangements, in different categories of schools in the districts of Cuddalore and Nagapattinam.

Table 4.6: Furniture for Students in Surveyed Schools No. of Furniture for Students S.No Type of School Surveyed Schools Benches Floor Both 1 Primary 27 2 18 7 (100) (7.41) (66.67) (25.93)

2 Middle 17 10 3 4 (100) (58.82) (17.65) (23.53)

3 Secondary 6 5 0 1 (100) (83.33) (0.00) (16.67)

4 Higher Secondary 15 10 2 3 (100) (66.67) (13.33) (20.00)

Total 65 27 23 15 (100) (41.54) (35.38) (23.08) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Schools. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total. Table 4.6 shows the furniture available for the students in the surveyed schools. It reveals that more than two third of primary schools students sit on the floor. A similar picture is Perception of School Administrators 51

noticed in higher secondary schools surveyed, 2 out of 15 school students are made to sit on the floor. This problem is witnessed in 3 out of the 17 middle schools, where the children are made to sit on the floor. In total, 27 schools have provided benches for the students, whereas 23 schools have not done so and 15 schools use both benches and floors for engaging classes. This approximately two third of the surveyed primary schools (67 %), the children attend classes sitting on the floor (Figure 4.2).

90 83.33

80

66.67 70 66.67

60 58.82

50 Bench Floor Percentage 40 Both 30 25.93

20 17.65 16.67 23.53 13.33 20 10 7.41 0 0 Primary Middle Secondary Higher-Secondary

Type of School

Figure 4.2: Seating Arrangements for students of surveyed schools.

Condition of School Buildings

Table 4.7 details the condition of school buildings in the districts. The school buildings are expected to meet the norms of good ventilation and safety. Basically, a pucca building is the minimum requirement for schools. It is found that more than 90 percent of schools fulfill this norm with pucca building, and only 6 out of 65 schools have semi-pucca building. It is observed that asbestos building no longer exists, which was very common two decades ago. The perception of condition of school buildings of surveyed schools is given in Figure 4.3. Perception of School Administrators 52

Table 4.7: Condition of School Buildings of Surveyed Schools

No.of Condition of School Buildings S.No Type of School Surveyed Schools Asbestos Pucca Semi-Pucca 1 Primary 27 0 24 3 (100) (0.00) (88.89) (11.11) 2 Middle 17 0 15 2 (100) (0.00) (88.24) (11.76) 3 Secondary 6 0 5 1 (100) (0.00) (83.33) (16.67) 4 Higher Secondary 15 0 15 0 (100) (0.00) (100) (0.00) Total 65 0 59 6 (100) (0.00) (90.77) (9.23) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Schools. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

100 100 88.89 88.24 83.33 80 60

40 Asbestos 11.11 11.76 16.67 20 Pucca 0 Percentage 0 Semi-Pucca

Type of School

Figure 4.3: Condition of School Buildings of the Surveyed Schools.

Condition of Classrooms

Classroom condition has been explored with the support of the 65 surveyed school administrators. It is observed that some of the schools are in the process of constructing concrete building, and hence due to inadequate regular classrooms, they conduct classes in other structures created temporarily. Table 4.8 shows places where classes are conducted.

Perception of School Administrators 53

It is observed that in all, except two schools, classes are conducted in regular class rooms only. In the two schools, temporary make shift structures have been created to cater to the students’ need, during the process of developing a permanent infrastructure.

Table 4.8: Places where Classes are Conducted of Surveyed Schools

No.of Places where classes are S.No Type of School Surveyed conducted Schools Rooms Tent / Others

27 26 1 1 Primary (100) (96.30) (3.70)

17 17 0 2 Middle (100) (100) (0.00)

6 5 1 3 Secondary (100) (83.33) (16.67)

15 15 0 4 Higher Secondary (100) (100) (0.00)

65 63 2 Total (100) (96.92) (3.08) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Schools. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Performance of Attendance

Attendance performance would show interest of students and parents in the school. An attempt has been made to assess the attendance performance. The attendance rate for students is given in Table 4.9. Among the four type of schools surveyed, the attendance performance of higher secondary is comparatively high compared to other school types in the above 80% attendance category. More than two third of the total children have come under the category of above 80 percent in the other three categories viz., primary, middle, and secondary schools. However, an impressive improvement in attendance rate (93.59%) at the HSC level, is a welcome feature. School administrators have taken personal interest in examining case by case and have been instrumental in enhancing the overall

Perception of School Administrators 54

performance of attendance. The perception of attendance rate for students of surveyed schools is given in Figure 4.4. Table 4.9: Attendance Rate for Students of Surveyed School No.of Attendance rate for S.No Type of School Surveyed No.of Children students Schools Above 80 Below 80 106 65 41 1 Primary 27 (100) (61.32) (38.68) 61 39 22 2 Middle 17 (100) (63.93) (36.07) 39 25 14 3 Secondary 6 (100) (64.10) (35.89) 27 25 2 4 Higher Secondary 15 (100) (92.59) (7.40) 233 154 79 Total 65 (100) (66.09) (33.91) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Schools. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Primary Schools Middle Schools

39% 36% 61% 64%

Above 80% Below 80% Higher Secondary Schools 7% Secondary Schools 36% 64% 93%

Figure 4.4: Attendance Rate for Students of Surveyed Schools.

Conclusion

This chapter gives the profile of surveyed schools, enrollment of surveyed children, overall attitude, and performance. The details are:

i. In the context of enrollment, Muslim boys (2,612) and girls (2,887) constitute 15.15 per cent and 17.75 per cent respectively. It reveals that the parents do not discriminate children on gender basis and provide education to all.

Perception of School Administrators 55

ii. The surveyed schools have enough infrastructures, but there is a rich scope in improving the quality of infrastructure and enlarging the facilities. iii. Of the surveyed 65 school, eight schools registered dropouts, numbering 39 boys and 61 girls during the last ten years. It is witnessed that poverty stricken Muslim families stop the girl children from the schools on their attaining puberty. iv. Pupil teacher ratio is upto the mark in the schools of Government, Municipality and Panchayat Union. In the case of Private Aided/Unaided school pupil teacher ratio is 46:1, which is relatively high as compared to the other categories of schools. v. Overall, the school teacher ratio is 1:15. These ratios are high in Government (1:25) and Private Aided/Unaided schools (1:19); and it moves along with the student enrollment. vi. The school administrators are qualified for the position, and some of them have qualified themselves more than the prescribed requirement. As per the records, all the teachers are qualified to impart skills and education to the students. vii. The surveyed schools have enough class rooms to impart the skills to the students of various levels without the need for merging of classes of various levels. viii. Among the four levels of schools surveyed, more than two third of primary schools students sit on the floor (67%). The proportion has come down at the level of middle school (17.65%). ix. In the case of condition of school building, more than 90 percent of schools fulfill the norm of pucca building. Asbestos buildings which were very common two decades ago, no longer exist. x. Classes are conducted in regular class rooms except in two schools, where the construction works are currently taking place. xi. Attendance performance is satisfactory (66%) at all levels of students, and the remaining students (34%) lack in attendance, that is below 80 percent of attendance. Hence the performance of attendance has to be improved. This problem may be addressed and proper counseling may be given to students and parents.

Perception of School Administrators 56

CHAPTER V

PERCEPTION OF SURVEYED MUSLIM HOUSEHOLDS

Introduction

This chapter gives an account of the perceptions of Muslim households on providing education to their children in the districts of Cuddalore and Nagapattinam. It is expected that this perception analysis would lead to certain concrete suggestions, which may be integrated with the perception of school administrators for achieving educational development.

Organization of Drug and Alcohol abuse Prevention Programme

The State Government has realized the importance of preventing the drug and alcohol abuse by children and makes all its effort to educate them to refrain from dangerous practices. In this context, a few specific programmes have been conceived and developed by the professionals, which are being implemented in the schools through professional trainers. An attempt has been made to explore whether these programmes have been organized at all school levels. It is seen that in total, 80 percent of the children have benefitted from these programmes. The survey also reveals that certain schools have not received the benefit of such programmes. These programmes have been organized only at the level of secondary and higher secondary schools, which number 46 in all (Table 5.1).

Table 5.1: Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Programme Organized

Does the school have a drug S.No Type of School and alcohol abuse prevention

No.of No.of program?

Households Yes No 25 21 4 1 Secondary (100) (82.05) (17.95) Higher 21 2 16 5 Secondary (100) (77.78) (22.22) 46 37 9 Total (100) (80.30) (19.70) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Perception of Surveyed Households 57

Counseling Services

Counseling services are provided to the students for making them realize the importance of education and to develop their skills integrally to help them carve out a happy life. It is heartening to note that counseling services are available for Muslim children in all the 65 schools surveyed, and three fourth of students affirm that they receive such services in their respective schools (Table 5.2).

Table 5.2: Counseling Services Available to Muslim Children Counseling services available to No.of Type of School Muslim children S.No Households Yes No 46 24 1 Primary 70 (66.04) (33.96) 28 6 2 Middle 34 (81.97) (18.03) 21 4 3 Secondary 25 (84.62) (15.38) 15 6 4 Higher Secondary 21 (70.37) (29.63) 111 39 Total 150 (73.82) (26.18) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

It is all the more satisfying to note that, at the primary level, 70 students receive this service. Obviously, this refers to the extra-efforts made at the primary level where the probability of dropping out from schools is higher. This counseling service addresses the issue of dropouts, at an early stage itself, which is a welcome feature. The percentage of counseling services available to Muslim children is given in Figure 5.1.

Counseling Services Available to Muslim Children

15.38 100 33.96 18.03 29.63

84.62 50 66.04 81.97 70.37

0 Primary Middle Secondary Higher Secondary Yes No

Figure 5.1: Counseling Services Available to Muslim Children.

Perception of Surveyed Households 58

Box 5.1: A Sea Change in the Mindset of the Muslim Parents A couple of decades ago, Muslims did not dare to spend on the girls' education. But today, there is a sea change in the mindset of this minority community and this story is a testimony to this.

Rajina, the mother of Sana, aged 15, represents a new trend among the Muslim community in Nagapattinam district. At the age of 15, when poor families do not worry about their daughters' education but are bothered only about their marriage, Rajina, is not even thinking on those lines. "Not till she passes her Class 10 exam," she says firmly.

She has, in fact, got all three daughters and son enrolled into the Government school in Mutlur, Cuddalore. Sana's father Ijaaz is working as a tea master in a tea shop in Mutlur. From home, Rajina supports her husband by making samosas and vadas and supplies to the tea shop in which he is working. The money thus earned helps them to lead a hand-to-mouth existence, but the girls' education has not been sacrificed. Rajina saves Rs. 500-700 from supplying somasas and vadas every month and keeps it aside for the girls’ private tuitions and stationary.

The same mindset could be witnessed in most of the Muslim families surveyed. Children of poorer Muslim families are being educated, not so much to equip them to earn a living but to "open their eyes." It has almost become a matter of family pride. Heena Banus case reveals the same. Heena Banu, aged 12 studying in 6th Standard in St. Pauls girls Higher Secondary School, Mayiladudurai, has two siblings. Her father died some years back, and her mother Kurshida Begum is a home maker. Kurshida’s elder son dropped out from school during his 10th Standard and is now working in Chennai to meet the family expenses. He repents that he could not complete his studies; however, he says that he will strive hard to help his younger sister and brother study well. Kurshida says, "She is going to be a mother one day. If she is uneducated like me, how would she teach her children? Besides, in today's world women, in all likelihood, would have to supplement their husbands' income. Hence, they should be equipped." Heena Banu with her Mother Most of the surveyed Muslim parents not only insist that the girls should attend school but they should also do well. This is a welcome aspect which will in turn increase the enrolment further and decrease dropouts. Perception of Surveyed Households 59

Availability of Specialized Staff

Addressing the special learning needs is very important to retain the children in the school system (Table 5.3). Specialized staff such as Speech Therapists, Psychologists, and Staff to create AIDS awareness is a basic requirement to address the special learning needs of a child. In this context, a question has been administered to the parents about the availability of specialized staff in the schools. It is a matter of gratification that this facility is available in all schools, but the proportion of opinion differs among the four categories of schools. Of the four school levels, the perception of parents of middle school children is very high (80%) followed by those of secondary (77%) and primary (64%) school children. However, it is low for the parents of higher secondary children. Overall, 70 percent of the students are benefitted by special staff available in the schools (Figure 5.2).

Table 5.3: Specialized Staff Available to Address the Special Learning Needs Specialized staff available to address the No.of special learning needs of a child. (Speech S.No Type of School Households therapist, Psychologist, AIDS) Yes No 70 45 25 1 Primary (100) (64.15) (35.85) 34 27 7 2 Middle (100) (80.33) (19.67) 25 19 6 3 Secondary (100) (76.92) (23.08) 21 12 9 4 Higher Secondary (100) (55.56) (44.44) 150 104 46 Total (100) (69.53) (30.47) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Specialized Staff Available to Address the Special Learning Needs

19.67 23.08 100 35.85 44.44

80.33 76.92 50 64.15 55.56

0 Primary Middle Secondary Higher Secondary Yes No

Figure 5.2: Specialized Staff Available to Address the Special Learning Needs.

Perception of Surveyed Households 60

Perceptions of Parents on Safety and Security

The sense of security that the parents perceive with regard to their children at schools is an important determinant of Muslim education (Table 5.4). In total, 97% (225 out of 231) of the parents feel that their children feel safe and secure in the schools of study. More than 95 percent of parents of primary and middle school Muslim children hold a positive view about their children’s security at schools (Figure 5.3). The table indicates that all the parents of secondary and higher secondary level children perceive that children are more safe and secure in schools, which is a prime factor in the education of girls.

Table 5.4: Perceptions of Parents on Safe and Secure in the Surveyed Schools Muslim Children feel safe and secure in No.of S.No Type of School schools Households Yes No 70 67 3 1 Primary (100) (95.28) (4.72) 34 32 2 2 Middle (100) (95.08) (4.92) 25 25 0 3 Secondary (100) (100) (0.00) 21 21 0 4 Higher Secondary (100) (100) (0.00) 150 145 5 Total (100) (96.57) (3.43) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Safety and Security Yes No

4.72 4.92 100

95.28 95.08 100 100 50

0 Primary Middle Secondary Higher Secondary

Figure 5.3: Safety and Security.

Perception of Surveyed Households 61

Box 5.2: Muslim Boys Aspiration to go Abroad

In general, a Muslim living in the coastal district prefers to go abroad especially to the Gulf. Cuddalore and Nagapattinam being coastal districts this could be witnessed in most of the households surveyed. As Muslims live in clusters, and this has a rippling effect, which trickles into the minds of the young Muslim boys.

Sometimes, the boys before completing their elementary education, quit schools to gain some experience in some nearby workshops and other businesses after which they go abroad for some petty trade callings. However, today, due to awareness, the mind-set of the Muslim parents has changed considerably, and they prefer their sons to complete schooling up to 12th standard or graduation before going abroad. Mohammed Iliyas, aged 15, studying in Government High School, Thirupoondi, is the seventh child of a big family of eight children. His father is a farmer, and though he finds it difficult to meet both ends, he insisted on the education of his children. Hence, two of his elder brothers have completed Engineering with the help of minority scholarships, and two of his sisters are studying in Colleges. Iilyas says that “I will complete Engineering like my elder brothers and will go abroad and help my father with the money earned” More or less, similar views were expressed by other boys covered in the survey.

Perception of Surveyed Households 62

Students Participation in Field Trips

Field trips are recognized as important moments in learning, which is a shared social experience that provides the opportunity for students to encounter and explore novel things in an authentic setting. Field trips give students educational experiences away from their regular school environment. Not only do field trips provide alternative educational opportunities for children, but they can also learn about different professions, ideas and opportunities when they travel outside their own neighborhoods. Thus students’ participation in the school trips and socio- cultural activities would facilitate avoid once of all types of discrimination.

Since the Muslims are minority, many parents do not prefer to send, especially the girl children for the field trips organized by the schools. In total, only 22 percent of the parents have opted to send their children for the field trips. Not a single case was recorded in this regard at the secondary and higher secondary level (Table 5.5). However at the primary and middle level of schools, more than two thirds of children in each category, have reported their participation positively (Figure 5.4). Perhaps, there is still a social inhibition in sending the girl children for field trips, fearing risks.

Table 5.5: Students Participation in Field Trips Organized by the Surveyed Schools No.of Students participate and enjoy field trips S.No Type of School Parents Yes No 70 21 49 1 Primary (100) (30.19) (69.81) 34 11 23 2 Middle (100) (31.15) (68.85) 25 0 25 3 Secondary (100) (0.00) (100) 21 0 21 4 Higher Secondary (100) (0.00) (100) 150 33 117 Total (100) (21.89) (78.11) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Perception of Surveyed Households 63

Students Participation in Field Trips Organized by the Surveyed Schools.

100 69.81 68.85 100 100 50

0 Primary Middle Secondary Higher Secondary Yes No

Figure 5.4: Students Participation in Field Trips Organized by the Surveyed Schools.

Parental Involvement in School Meetings

Parental involvement refers to the participation of the parents at least once during the school year in attending a general school meeting, attending a scheduled meeting with their child’s teacher, attending a school event, or volunteering in the school or serving on a school committee. Parental involvement in school meetings allows parents to monitor the school and classroom activities and to coordinate their efforts with teachers, to encourage acceptable classroom behavior, and to ensure themselves that the child completes schoolwork. Teachers of students with highly involved parents tend to bestow greater attention to those students, and they are more likely to identify at earlier stages problems that might inhibit student learning.

Table 5.6: Parental Involvement in School Meetings of Surveyed Households School encourage parental No.of S.No Type of School involvement Households Yes No 70 62 8 1 Primary (100) (88.68) (11.32) 34 30 4 2 Middle (100) (88.52) (11.48) 25 23 2 3 Secondary (100) (92.31) (7.69) 21 19 2 4 Higher Secondary (100) (92.59) (7.40) 150 135 15 Total (100) (89.70) (10.30) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Perception of Surveyed Households 64

Table 5.6 indicates that the parents have a favorable outlook in participating in schools meetings, which is quite suggestive of their involvement in the education of their children. Their positive perception is high, close to 90 percent, taking all the 150 households surveyed. This perception is uniformly noticed at all levels of education (Figure 5.5). It is a sign that the schools’ managements have won the confidence of parents.

Parental Involvement in School Meetings of Surveyed Households

100 11.32 11.48 7.69 7.4 80 60 88.68 88.52 92.31 92.59 40 20 0 Primary Middle Secondary Higher Secondary

Yes No

Figure 5.5: Parental Involvement in School Meetings of Surveyed Households.

Accessibility of Schools

The geographical location of schools, presents a very enlarging picture as regards the accessibility of schools for Muslim children (Table 5.7); particularly at the levels of primary and middle education. A substantial number of schools are located in proximity, at a distance of less than one kilo-meter. About 80 percent of children at the primary level and nearly 50 percent of children at the middle level of education have this advantage. Regarding the secondary and higher secondary education too, around one third of children have schools in a radius of less than 1 km. It amounts to saying that education is available literally at their doorsteps. Children who travel a large distance, at the three ranges of 2 km, 3 km, and 4 km are more or less equally distributed at the secondary school level. Only 3 (8 percent) children have to commute a distance above 4 kms. Perception of Surveyed Households 65

Table 5.7: Accessibility of Schools by Muslim Children Location of School - Muslim Children Distance of S.No School Level Schools Higher Primary Middle Secondary Secondary No.of Schools 27 17 6 15 106 61 39 27 No.of Children (100) (100) (100) (100) 1 Less than 1 Km 85 29 12 6 (80.0) (47.0) (31.0) (40.0) 2 1 km - 2 km 11 15 7 3 (11.0) (25.0) (17.0) (20) 3 2 km - 3 km 8 8 9 4 (8.0) (13.0) (23.0) (27.0) 4 3 km - 4 km 1 4 8 2 (1.0) (7.0) (21.0) (13) 5 Above 4 km 0 5 3 0 (0.0) (8.0) (8.0) (0.0) Source: Computed from the surveyed School Children. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

For the higher secondary level too, approximately the same picture is seen for the first two ranges of distance (Figure 5.6). This in fact reveals the achievement of Government as well as the private institutions in establishing new schools and strengthening the existing schools on the basis of demand.

Accessibility of Schools by Muslim Children

1 100 8 8 8 13 11 7 13 21 80 27 25 23 60 20 80 17 40 47 40 20 31 0 Primary Middle Secondary Higher Secondary

Less than 1 Km 1 Km - 2 Km 2 Km - 3 Km 3 Km - 4 Km Above 4 Km

Figure 5.6: Accessibility of Schools by Muslim Children.

Perception of Surveyed Households 66

Teaching and Learning

Monitoring and evaluation of students’ daily activities in the school premises are essential for effective teaching and learning in the classroom and for good management and governance of school. In general, the schools have regular students’ performance system, and teachers are actively engaged in monitoring the learners’ performance in these schools.

Table 5.8: Perception of Parents of Muslim Children on Teaching and Learning

Teaching and Learning No.of S.No Type of School Surveyed Student Performance (Group Projects, Households No Individual Performance, Frequent Testing) 70 57 13 1 Primary (100) (81.13) (18.87) 34 28 6 2 Middle (100) (81.97) (18.03) 25 15 10 3 Secondary (100) (61.54) (38.46) 21 19 2 4 Higher Secondary (100) (92.59) (7.40) 150 119 31 Total (100) (79.40) 20.60 Source: Computed from the Surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Teachers check home work, and provide feedback, and counsel the slow learners. In Government schools, various attempts are made see that the monitoring mechanism is effective as much as possible. Table 5.8 shows the perception of parents of Muslim children on the teaching and learning process in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts. These schools have assessed the performance of students in terms of group projects, individual performance, and frequent testing. Of the 150 surveyed households, 119 households have opined that the schools have performed all the activities and their children have also participated. The level of perception varies from 61 to 93 percent in the four categories of schools (Figure 5.7).

Perception of Surveyed Households 67

Perception of Parents on Teaching and Learning

100 18.87 18.03 7.4 38.46 80 60 81.13 81.97 92.59 40 61.54 20 0 Primary Middle Secondary Higher Secondary

Yes No

Figure 5.7: Perception of Parents on Teaching and Learning.

Reading Skills

Improving reading skills will reduce unnecessary reading time and enable one to read in a more focused and selective manner. It will also be able to increase the levels of understanding and concentration. However, many children have trouble with reading. Schools try to improve the reading skills of students, and this has been witnessed in the reports of State Level Achievement Survey (SLAS) conducted by SSA.

Table 5.9: Assessment of Reading Skills of Muslim Children

Total Reading Skills S.No Type of School No.of Children Progress Report Through Parents 70 29 41 1 Primary (100) (41.51) (58.49) 34 16 18 2 Middle (100) (45.90) (54.10) 25 6 19 3 Secondary (100) (25.64) (74.36) 21 12 9 4 Higher Secondary (100) (55.56) (44.44) 150 62 88 Total (100) (41.63) (58.37) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Perception of Surveyed Households 68

In order to assess the reading skills of Muslim children, a test question was posed to their parents. Of the surveyed 150 parents, 62 parents said that their children read well as per the progress report prepared by the schools (Table 5.9). And the remaining 88 parents have affirmed from their direct observation that their children read well, and they have expressed their full satisfaction. Across the four categories of schools, the performance varied significantly (Figure 5.8). Evidently, the performance depended on the level of students and ability of parents to assess the performance of their children. However, the favourable impression recorded by the parents speak well of the professional commitment of teachers.

Reading Skills of Muslim Children

100 90 44.44 80 58.49 54.1 70 74.36 60 50 40 55.56 30 41.51 45.9 20 25.64 10 0 Primary Middle Secondary Higher Secondary

Progress Report Through Parents

Figure 5.8: Reading Skills of Muslim Children.

Perception of Parents on Teachers’ Communication Skills

Teachers must be able to express themselves both verbally and in writing, and this is very much essential to transmit knowledge, skills, and values to the children, which in turn will motivate the students to learn. Teachers’ communication skills are being treated as one of the indicators of school performance. The parents are likely to put their children in the schools promoting good communication skills for their children. In this context, perceptions of the parents of Muslim

Perception of Surveyed Households 69 children have been obtained. It is interesting to note that 99 percent of the parents opined that their children’s teachers had good teaching skills (Table 5.10). The performance marginally differs only at the level of primary and middle schools (Figure 5.9). This gap also can be fulfilled by way of enriching the skills of teachers.

Table 5.10: Perception of Parents on Teachers’ Communication and Understanding School staff able to communicate in the language that your child No.of understand S.No Type of School Surveyed Households Easy to Difficulty to Understand Understand 70 68 2 1 Primary (100) (97.17) (2.83) 34 33 1 2 Middle (100) (98.36) (1.64) 25 25 0 3 Secondary (100) (100) (0.00) 21 21 0 4 Higher Secondary (100) (100) (0.00) Total 150 149 3

(100) (99.00) (1.00) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Teachers’ Communication and Understanding

2.83 1.64 100 80 60 97.17 98.36 100 100 40 20 0 Primary Middle Secondary Higher Secondary

Easy to understand Difficulty to understand

Figure 5.9: Teachers’ Communication and Understanding.

Perception of Surveyed Households 70

English Language Acquisition Programme

The policy makers of school education have realized the importance in imparting reading, writing, and speaking skills in English and introduced English language acquisition programme in the curriculum. The main focus of this programme is to improve the confidence of the child in using the English language and encouraging child centered activity based teaching and learning methodologies in the classrooms. In this context, a question was posed to the parents in order to assess their perception on the performance of the ongoing programme.

Table 5.11: Perception of effective English language Acquisition Programme for Muslim Children An Effective English language acquisition program for Muslim No.of S.No Type of School children Households Yes No 70 29 41 1 Primary (100) (41.51) (58.49) 34 14 20 2 Middle (100) (40.98) (59.02) 25 10 15 3 Secondary (100) (38.46) (61.54) 21 6 15 4 Higher Secondary (100) (29.63) (70.37) 150 59 91 Total (100) (39.48) (60.52) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Of the surveyed households, 39 percent of the parents are of the view that the English language acquisition programme is going on the schools of study and their children too have been benefited (Table 5.11). The remaining 61 percent of the parents were not aware of the programme at all, and hence they could not express their opinion in this regard. Across the four levels of schools, the performance varies between 30 and 42 percent (Figure 5.10). It shows that much effort is needed by the school administrators to improve the English language skills of the students.

Perception of Surveyed Households 71

Awareness on Effective English language Acquisition Programme

Yes No 100 58.49 59.02 61.54 70.37 50 41.51 40.98 38.46 29.63 0 Primary Middle Secondary Higher Secondary Figure 5.10: Awareness on Effective English language Acquisition Programme

Extracurricular Activities

It is the responsibility of every educational institution to provide such education that leads to the overall personality development of each and every student. Such a kind of education includes both academic and Extra-Academic Activities (EAA). The latter fall outside the realm of the normal curriculum of school or university education, Co-curricular activities (CCA) facilitate the all-round development of children. Cultural programmes, sports, community service, etc., are some examples of CCA. These activities, not only, strengthen the learning of subject-matter, but also nourish students’ aptitude, interest, and personality.

Table 5.12: Perception of Muslim Children in Participating Extracurricular Activities No.of (Special Classes, Sports, Yoga, No.of S.No Type of School Surveyed Karate, NCC and JRC) Children Schools Participated Not Participated 106 102 4 1 Primary 27 (100) (96.23) (3.77) 61 59 2 2 Middle 17 (100) (96.72) (3.28) 39 35 4 3 Secondary 6 (100) (89.74) (10.26) 27 24 3 4 Higher Secondary 15 (100) (88.89) (11.11) 233 220 13 Total 65 (100) (94.42) (5.58) Source: Computed from the surveyed parents of school children. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Perception of Surveyed Households 72

Table 5.12 shows perception of Muslim children participating in extracurricular activities. In total, 94 percent of the Muslim children participated in the extracurricular activities organized in schools such as Special Classes, Sports, Yoga, Karate, NCC, and JRC. This is a welcome step, and the left out students may be encouraged to participate in the activities (Figure 5.11). While some parents are a bit apprehensive about their children participating in extracurricular activities they do recognize that these activities actually bring with them many benefits.

Muslim Children in Participating Extracurricular Activities

3.77 3.28 100 10.26 11.11 90 80 70 60 96.23 96.72 50 89.74 88.89 40 30 20 10 0 Primary Middle Secondary Higher Secondary

Participated Not participated

Figure 5.11: Muslim Children in Participating Extracurricular Activities

Intramural Activities

Apart from routine academic works, intramural activities have been introduced in the school curriculum to develop the children with multiple skills and interests. In this context, the schools have introduced the following activities. They are: Dance, Drama, Quiz Programs, Chess, and Carom. Table 5.13 shows the perception of Muslim children in Intramural activities in schools. In this endeavor, 73 percent of the students have participated and benefited (Figure 5.12). Across the levels of schools, the performance differs significantly due to availability of space,

Perception of Surveyed Households 73 equipment, special teachers etc. This gap has to be viewed seriously and be fulfilled for enriching the skills of students.

Table 5.13: Perception of Muslim Children in Intramural Activities Special Offering Intramural activities are available to Total students (Dance Drama, Quiz Total S.No Type of School No.of Programs, Chess, Carom Board) No.of Surveyed Children Schools Participated Not Participated 106 80 26 1 Primary 27 (100) (75.47) (24.53) 61 55 6 2 Middle 17 (100) (90.16) (9.84) 39 20 19 3 Secondary 6 (100) (51.28) (48.72) 27 15 13 4 Higher Secondary 15 (100) (55.56) (48.15) 233 170 64 Total 65 (100) (72.96) (27.47) Source: Computed from the surveyed parents of school children. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Participation of Muslim Children in Intramural Activities

120 9.84 100 24.53 48.15 80 48.72

60 90.16 75.47 40 51.28 55.56 20

0 Primary Middle Secondary Higher Secondary Participated Not Participated

Figure 5.12: Participation of Muslim Children in Intramural Activities.

Perception of Surveyed Households 74

Publications Available in other Languages

Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts of Tamil Nadu have a substantial number of Urdu speaking Muslims. The children of Muslims learn additional language skills, not only in the schools but also by going for private tuitions and religion related institutions. In this context, an attempt has been made to see whether these services are provided in the schools or not.

Table 5.14: Publications Available in Other Languages in Schools Publications for parents No.of available in other languages S.No Type of School Surveyed (Arabic, Urdu) Households Available Not Available 70 10 60 1 Primary (100) (14.15) (85.85) 34 4 30 2 Middle (100) (13.11) (86.89) 25 5 20 3 Secondary (100) (20.51) (79.49) 21 7 14 4 Higher Secondary (100) (33.33) (66.67) 150 26 124 Total (100) (17.17) (82.83) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

In total, 17 percent of the students have benefited through their schools (Table 5.14). The performance varies across the levels of schools. It shows that the availability of teachers and adequate strength of Muslim students studying in schools.

Program and Supports to Prevent and Address Behavior Problems

Student misbehaviors such as disruptive talking, chronic avoidance of work, clowning, interfering with teaching activities, harassing classmates, verbal insults, rudeness to teacher, defiance, and hostility, ranging from infrequent to frequent, mild to severe, is a thorny issue in everyday classroom. Teachers usually reported that these disturbing behaviors in the classroom are intolerable and stress-provoking, and they had to spend a great deal of time and energy to

Perception of Surveyed Households 75 manage the classroom. Obviously, student misbehaviors retard the smoothness and effectiveness of teaching and also impede the learning of the student and his/her classmates. To lessen these immediate and gradual adverse effects of student misbehaviors, special program and support have been provided to the schools.

Table 5.15: Perception of Parents on Program and Supports to Prevent and Address Behavior Problems

No.of Program S.No Type of School Surveyed Households Addressed Not Addressed

70 64 6 1 Primary (100) (91.51) (8.49)

34 25 9 2 Middle (100) (72.13) (27.87)

25 22 3 3 Secondary (100) (89.74) (10.26)

21 17 4 4 Higher Secondary (100) (81.48) (18.52)

150 127 23 Total (100) (84.98) (15.02) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Table 5.15 reveals perception of parents on program and supports to prevent and address behavior problems. Of the surveyed 150 households, 85 percent of the parents have revealed that the schools have organized such type of programmes to control misbehavior among students. This may be scaled up to cover the remaining schools of study.

Allowing Students to Leave School Premises

As a general rule, a school has no “door-to-door” responsibility for students. However, a duty of care will be owed in situations where the school assumes responsibility for students, which is during school working hours. In order to establish parents-teachers cooperation, schools are expected to strictly follow the guidelines in vague in allowing students to leave school premises

Perception of Surveyed Households 76 during working hours. These administrative procedures would help ensure safety of the students and reduce the tension among parents. It is observed that these rules have not been followed in all schools very strictly. As a general rule, a school should not allow students to leave school premises during the school day in circumstances where there is no parental permission. If a student is permitted to leave in these circumstances, the school must be satisfied that no foreseeable harm will come to him or her.

Table 5.16: Perception of Parents of Muslim Children on Allowing Students to Leave School Premises

No.of Students allowed to leave school by S.No Type of School Surveyed themselves Households Allowed Not Allowed

70 24 46 1 Primary (100) (34.91) (65.09)

34 4 30 2 Middle (100) (13.11) (86.89)

25 3 22 3 Secondary (100) (12.82) (87.18)

21 2 19 4 Higher Secondary (100) (11.11) (88.89)

150 34 116 Total (100) (22.75) (77.25) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Household. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

In this context, a question was raised to the parents to get their perception on whether these conditions are followed in the schools of study. Table 5.16 gives the perception of parents of Muslim children on allowing students to leave school premises. Nearly 23 percent of parents say that their children are allowed to leave their schools at their will, whereas the others do not concern with this view.

Perception of Surveyed Households 77

Wearing Uniforms and Reporting Absenteeism

Many school systems across the country are instituting school uniforms in an effort to improve overall school performance and to reduce negative behavior. Uniforms have been introduced to the school children to avoid all types of discrimination. Further, the State Government distributes uniforms as one of the freebies to the school children.

Table 5.17 shows that 95 percent of parents perceive positively the wearing of uniforms. These perceptions varied marginally across the levels of schools. In the context of absenteeism, teachers use to call the parents and suggest to them not to be absent for the schools. Overall, 95 percent of the parents have opined that the school administrators or teachers call the parents directly and advise them to send the children to the schools. These perceptions varied marginally across the four levels of schools.

Table 5.17: Perception of Parents of Muslim Children on Wearing Uniforms and Reporting Absenteeism Total No.of Students Wear Personal call to S.No Type of School Surveyed Uniforms parents Households Yes No Yes No 69 1 69 1 70 1 Primary (100) (99.06) (0.94) (99.06) (0.94)

31 3 31 3 34 2 Middle (100) (90.16) (9.84) (90.16) (9.84)

23 2 23 2 25 3 Secondary (100) (92.31) (7.69) (92.31) (7.69)

19 2 19 2 Higher 21 4 Secondary (100) (92.59) (7.41) (92.59) (7.41)

148 2 148 2 150 Total (100) (94.85) (5.15) (94.85) (5.15) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Perception of Surveyed Households 78

Box 5.3: Poor Muslim Girls sent to rich Muslim Households as Domestic Help

This is a case study registered during the Stake holders meet with the Headmasters/Headmisters of Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts. When enquired about the reasons for dropout, Mrs. Rita, HM, of Panchayat Union Middle School, Nidur, Neivasal, Mayiladuthurai Taluk, put forth the case of a dropout Chellakani, VIIIth STD which portrays how poverty plays a hindering role in the education of poor Muslim girls. According to The Headmistress, Chellakani was an outstanding student with various talents, but she belonged to a poor family. Her mother, all of a sudden came to the school one day, requesting the issue of Chellakani’s TC, and when asked for the reason she did not disclose anything to them. She gave some petty reasons which were not true. The teachers and the HM tried to convince her, but she was very particular in getting the TC. Later, it was learnt that Chellakani had been sent as a domestic help to one of her distance relatives.

The HM added that, poor Muslim girls were being educated only until they reached puberty. Due to the dowry practices that exist among the Muslim community, the parents then send their girls to work as domestic help in some rich Muslim households for around four to five years. In return, the rich family helps the girl in getting married by providing substantial financial help. The poor parents cannot be blamed because ultimately they want their daughters to get married, and this practice helps in overcoming their financial burden. Several school authorities hailing from Nagore and Nagapattinam areas also opined that such practices could be seen in several poor Muslim families. However, they did not want to disclose their names and also refused to disclose the student’s identity.

Encouraging Daily Attendance and Incentives

There is a growing awareness that frequent absences from school limit a child’s opportunities for academic success and, consequently, affect later life outcomes. Improving school attendance as well as school enrolment is seen as a key to improving education outcomes for children by policymakers. To improve the attendance rates of the students, teachers, and administrators require clarity as to which are the most important factors associated with non-attendance. The

Perception of Surveyed Households 79 factors associated with school attendance in the primary school years are quite different from those associated with attendance in secondary schools. Policies to encourage school attendance that target parents may be far more effective in primary schools than in secondary schools.

Table 5.18: Perception of Parents of Muslim Children on Encouraging Daily Attendance and Incentives Encourage daily attendance - No.of Surveyed S.No Type of School Incentives Households Yes No 70 63 7 (100) (89.62) (10.38) 1 Primary

34 31 3 (100) (90.16) (9.84) 2 Middle

25 24 1 (100) 3 Secondary (94.87) (5.13)

21 20 1 (100) (96.30) (3.70) 4 Higher Secondary

150 137 13 (100) (91.42) (8.58) Total

Source: Computed from the surveyed parents of school children. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Apart from following strict guidelines, certain innovative practices have been introduced by the schools for encouraging the students to have cent percent attendance. The perception of parents on these practices differs across the four levels of schools. Overall, 91 percent of the parents have revealed that the schools provide incentives like gifts, prizes etc., to attend schools regularly. These perceptions vary marginally among the four levels of schools.

Perception of Surveyed Households 80

Availability of Auditorium and Performing Activities

The auditorium is a central and important space in any school. It is used for all types of formal assembly. Availability of auditorium is one of the critical infrastructures in schools nowadays.

Table 5.19: Perception of Parents on Availability of Auditorium and Performing Activities Total No.of Availability of Auditorium S.No Type of School Surveyed Households Yes No

70 23 47 1 Primary (100) (33.02) (66.98)

34 8 26 2 Middle (100) (24.59) (75.41)

25 9 16 3 Secondary (100) (35.90) (64.10)

21 9 12 4 Higher Secondary (100) (44.44) (55.56)

150 49 101 Total (100) (32.62) (67.38) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

At this juncture, a question was asked to the parents about the availability of auditorium and its utilization in holding academic, sports, and cultural activities. The perceptions do differ across the four levels of schools. Of the surveyed households, only 33 percent of the parents have stated that the schools have auditoriums which have been utilized well (Table 5.19).

Library Services

The school library offers learning services, books, and resources that enable all members of the school community to become critical thinkers and effective users of information. Availability and accessibility of library services is one of the parameters for assessing the standards of the schools. It has been demonstrated that school libraries help students achieve higher levels of

Perception of Surveyed Households 81 literacy, reading, learning, problem-solving skills. The question is, whether the students use the school libraries.

Table 5.20: Perception of Parents on Library Services Provided by the Schools

Total No.of Satisfaction on Library Services S.No Type of School Children Yes No 106 78 28 1 Primary (100) (73.58) (26.42) 61 58 3 2 Middle (100) (95.08) (4.92) 39 39 0 3 Secondary (100) (100) (0.00) 27 27 0 4 Higher Secondary (100) (100) (0.00) 233 202 31 Total (100) (86.70) (13.30) Source: Computed from the surveyed school children. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

The perception of the parents differs significantly across the four levels of schools. Overall, 87 percent of the parents have revealed that their children use the school libraries (Table 5.20). They expressed that these types of services would help in promoting educational attainment.

Outside Institutional Support

In a competitive world, business people do provide additional services to the students at all levels. In this context, a question has been asked to the parents about the availability of local library, scouting organizations, public and private schools, and other resources which would supplement their learning process. The parents’ perception is 80 percent revealing that they have no awareness on such type of services which will help to scale up their wards’ academic and overall performance (Table 5.21). Awareness in this regard has to be scaled up to parents belonging to the children of all school types to enrich the skills and to improve their overall personality.

Perception of Surveyed Households 82

Table 5.21: Perception of Parents on Availing Outside Institutional Support No.of Outside Institutional support S.No Type of School Surveyed availed Households Yes No 70 66 7 1 Primary (100) (9.43) (90.57) 34 7 27 2 Middle (100) (21.31) (78.69) 25 10 15 3 Secondary (100) (38.46) (61.54) 21 6 15 4 Higher Secondary (100) (29.63) (70.37) 150 30 120 Total (100) (19.74) (80.26) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Medium of Schools and Participation of Muslim Children

Parents choose to send their children to English medium private schools because they think that English medium education paves the way for better job opportunities for the children. They are correct to a large extent. Private schools charge fees and poor families cannot afford the fees. As such, the demand for English medium schools is very poor in rural areas, for only a few private schools in rural areas are offering English medium of instruction. As a result, poor students from rural areas find it difficult to attend English medium private schools. Recently, the Government of Tamil Nadu has proposed to offer English medium education with the existing infrastructure as an option to those students who wish to study in English medium. Since there is no additional infrastructure and trained teachers, the quality of teaching becomes a questionable one. Table 5.22 reveals total male and female children and the medium of education. The 150 surveyed household represents 233 Muslim students of both the districts. Of these, 129 male children and 104 female children are studying at various levels. Overall, around 80 percent of the students opt for Tamil medium. There are no significant differences among the levels of schools such as, primary to higher secondary. In the case of male children, 78 percent opt for Tamil medium in primary education. At the next level, a marginal increase is noticed (81 %) in middle level education (Figure 5.13 (a)). But this trend has come down at the secondary level (75%).

Perception of Surveyed Households 83

Table 5.22: Male, Female Children and Medium of Education

Male Children Female Children

Medium Medium

S.No Type of School No .of No

No.of No.of Tamil English No.of Tamil English Households Students Students Total Children Total

70 106 55 43 12 51 45 6 1 Primary (100) (78.18) (21.82) (100) (88.24) (11.76) 34 61 32 26 6 29 23 6 2 Middle (100) (81.25) (18.75) (100) (79.31) (20.69) 25 39 28 21 7 11 10 1 3 Secondary (100) (75.00) (25.00) (100) (90.91) (9.09) Higher 21 27 14 14 0 13 8 5 4 Secondary (100) (100) (0.00) (100) (61.54) (38.46) 150 233 129 104 25 104 86 18 Total (100) (80.62) (19.38) (100) (82.69) (17.31) Source: Computed from the surveyed School Children. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

At the higher secondary level, all of them are studying in Tamil medium. The number of children reduced from primary (43) to (14) at the higher secondary level. In the case of English medium, the number falls from 12 to zero from primary to higher secondary. It interesting to note that the parents believe that minimum level of education is needed to run their petty business. Hence they have not given much importance to provide English medium education. Further, it is noticed that most of the parents are not well qualified, and they have minimum educational qualification and most of them carry out businesses as their livelihood.

The same picture could not be seen in the case of female children studying in both the medium of education. Of the total 104 female children, 86 are studying in Tamil medium and 18 are studying in English medium. At the primary level, the proportion is 88 percent in Tamil medium and it has gradually come down to the level of 79 percent at the middle level of education (Figure 5.13 (b)). However, the proportion has increased to 91 percent at the level of secondary education, and it substantially has come down to 62 percent at the higher secondary level. This trend is different from having education through Tamil medium of male children. In the case of

Perception of Surveyed Households 84

English medium education, 18 female children are studying at different levels. Among the four levels of education, the number is very poor in the case of secondary education. It shows the parents and children’s preference on having education in a specified medium.

In the case of medium of instruction, the ratio is approximately 8:2 between the Tamil medium and the English medium. This again is a positive feature in the two backward districts under study. One may subscribe to the view that where the students study in Tamil medium, the retention rate shall be higher. If the ratio is in favour of English medium, one can expect a still greater extent of dropouts. It could be construed that due to demonstration effect, the parents and children would like to have better education in high profiled schools. It is observed that some of the parents send their children in other districts to have better education. Since the parents of the children do differ in their outlook and views, it is reflected in the choice of medium of education at different levels. However, there seems to set in a new trend preferring education through English medium, at all levels. They probably perceive that English medium would enable their employability in the job makers better.

Figure 5.13 (a): Boy Children and Medium of Figure 5.13 (b): Girl Children and Medium of Education Education

Source: Computed from the surveyed School Children.

Perception of Surveyed Households 85

Muslim Family Members Involved in Education

Family involvement in education can mean: Reading a bedtime story to their preschool child, checking homework every night, getting involved in PTA, discussing their children's progress with teachers, voting in school board elections, helping school to set challenging academic standards, limiting TV viewing to no more than two hours on school nights, getting personally involved in governing the school, becoming an advocate for better education in the community and state, and insisting on high standards of behavior for children. Obviously, children who read at home with their parents perform better of school.

Parents can make sure that their child goes to school every day. They can be instrumental in establishing a regular time for homework each afternoon or evening, set aside a quiet, well lit place, and encourage children to study. Routines generally include time performing chores, eating meals together, and going to bed at an established time. Parents cannot afford to wait for schools to tell them how children are doing. Families who stay informed about their children's progress at school have higher-achieving children. To keep informed, parents can visit the school or talk with teachers on the telephone. Parents should get to know the names of their children's teachers, principals, and counselors.

The help rendered by the family members to do homework for their children is an indication of the importance assigned to education by the family (Table 5.23). It is found that the percentage of families engaged in helping their children is rising along with the level of education. In taking care of male children, it is found that nearly one third of households offer such help at the primary level. Nearly 4 out of 10 families (43%) and 6 out of 10 families (57%) do so at the secondary and higher secondary level. However, the number of children reaching the higher levels of education is on the decrease and may it reveals that the education level of family members would have a strong bearing on the education of their wards (Figure 5.14 (a)). Regarding female children, the result does not conform to that of male children. However, it provides evidence that at all levels, female children receive the help from their family members. It is as high as 68% at the primary level, which declines to 30% at the higher secondary level (Figure 5.14 (b)). It is a welcome feature that once the households put their children in schools, they generally bestow significant care to improve their performance.

Perception of Surveyed Households 86

Table 5.23: Muslim Family Members Involved Male and Female Children in their Homework

Male Children Female Children

No.of families No.of families

Type of School involved Children involved Children with

S.No with homework homework

Total Children Total Yes No Yes No No.of Students No.of Students No.of 106 55 19 36 51 35 16 1 Primary (100) (34.55) (65.45) (100) (68.63) (31.37) 61 32 9 23 29 14 15 2 Middle (100) (28.13) (71.88) (100) (48.28) (51.72) 39 28 12 16 11 4 7 3 Secondary (100) (42.86) (57.14) (100) (36.36) (63.64) 27 14 8 6 13 4 9 4 Higher Secondary (100) (57.14) (42.86) (100) (30.77) (69.23) 233 129 48 81 104 57 47 Total (100) (37.21) (62.79) (100) (54.81) (45.19) Source: Computed from the surveyed School Children. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Figure 5.14 (a): Muslim Family Members Figure 5.14 (b): Muslim Family Members Involved Male Children in their Homework Involved Female Children in their Homework Figure 5.13 (a): Male Children and Yes : Inner Circle Data No : OuterMedium Circle ofData Education

Source: Computed from the surveyed School Children.

Perception of Surveyed Households 87

AWCs/Preschool Education

Anganwadi is defined as a government sponsored child-care and mother-care center in India. It caters to children in the 0-6 age group. During the official hours, children would learn through play, have one nourishing meal, take a noon nap, and return home to their mother, who has the comfort of having her child taken care of for a significant part of her working day. Immediately after the prayer, there is a round of physical exercises, accompanied by poems created specifically for them. This is the only time of the day when children danced to the tune of the Anganwadi worker.

Besides, some of the private schools do offer pre-school facilities and provide the same services like AWCs. The teacher is well trained for pre-school education. Keeping with the spirit of joyful learning, all the lessons are designed based on play-way method. The syllabus prescribed is just one topic per fortnight, to introduce the children to things in their immediate environment e.g. flowers, vehicles, fruits, etc.

Table 5.24: Muslim Children sent to AWCs/Preschool before Admitting to Primary School

Children sent to AWCs/Pre-School Type of No.of Total S.No before admitting to primary school School Households Children

Yes No

106 82 24 1 Primary 150 (100) (77.36) (22.64)

Source: Computed from the surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Table 5.24 reveals the status of Muslim children sent to AWCs and pre-schools. Of the surveyed households, 106 children are studying at the primary level. The practice of sending children to these centres is being enhanced, and the parents try to avoid nuisance during day hours, by making them free to do some other work either at the household or elsewhere. It is found that nearly 80 percent of children from 150 households are enrolled in AWCs (Figure 5.15). It is Perception of Surveyed Households 88 witnessed that these centres would provide comprehensive facilities for nurturing the children and enhancing the nutritional status.

Figure 5.15: AWCs/Pre-School before Admitting to Primary School

No 23%

Yes 77%

Source: Computed from the surveyed Households.

Interventions Required in Schools

Parents expressed seeing differences in their children’s behavior and feelings about school as a result of their at-home and/or at-school involvement. Their children’s reactions to their involvement served as a motivating factor for parents’ continued support.

Table 5.25: Perception of Parents on Completion of Schoolings and Interventions Required

No.of Agreeing to have S.No Type of Interventions Households Additional Facilities

Infrastructure/ Basic 88 1 Amenities at School, (58.67) Introduction of SMS Services 44 2 Related to Homework, 150 (29.33) Attendance, Marks, Etc. Introducing Vocational or any 18 3 other such training (12.00) Source: Computed from the surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Perception of Surveyed Households 89

This survey reveals (Table 5.25) that the households accord priorities to infrastructure/basic amenities (58.67%). Next, they are impressed by the SMS services of the institution, which report the performance level and attendance details of their wards. They are happy that they are updated about their wards, through such regular feedback. Nearly 30% of households prioritize this service. Regarding the value addition through vocational courses or any such training, 12 percent of the parents have recorded their favourable views saying that these schemes would be useful to their children.

Causes of Absenteeism

Table 5.26 reveals the perception of parents and opinions of Muslim children on attendance and its related causes of absenteeism. The identified causes are: sickness, poor economic background, long distance to commuting to school, and child involvement in household work. It is interesting to note that around 12 percent of the surveyed children have revealed that they were absent due to the various causes listed above. The problem of absenteeism is only marginal, and it could be avoided by the parents by way of extending their cooperation with the schools.

Table 5.26: Perception of Parents of Muslim children on attendance and absenteeism

S.No Type of School Total Sickness Condition HHs work No.of Children Poor Economic Child involvement in Commuting to school

1 Primary 106 9 16 2 0 27 (100) (8.49) (15.09) (1.89) (0.00) (25.47)

2 Middle 61 5 7 3 2 17 (100) (8.20) (11.48) (4.92) (3.28) (27.87)

3 Secondary 39 4 3 0 6 13 (100) (10.26) (7.69) (0.00) (15.38) (33.33)

4 Higher Secondary 27 2 4 0 5 11 (100) (7.41) (14.81) (0.00) (18.52) (40.74)

Total 233 20 30 5 13 68 (100) (8.58) (12.88) (2.15) (5.58) (29.18) Source: Computed from the surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total. Perception of Surveyed Households 90

Availability of Place for Child’s Study

Parents expect that some additional space should be available in every school apart from class rooms for reading or discussing or making group learning. In this context, perception of parents was obtained. Table 5.27 gives an outline of perception of parents on availability of place for child’s study. Of the surveyed 150 households, 51 percent of the parents have stated that additional space is available for their children’s study. These perceptions varied across the four levels of schools. Better performance is registered in primary schools (71.43%) followed by middle (52.94%) and secondary (20%). In the case of higher secondary, the available additional space is only to the tune of 14 percent. Only at the higher level of school education, students and parents expect privacy and additional space for accomplishing their academic goals and targets.

Table 5.27: Perception of Parents on Availability of Place for Child’s study

Available Space No.of Surveyed S.No Type of School Households Yes No

70 50 20 1 Primary (100) (71.43) (28.57) 34 18 16 2 Middle (100) (52.94) (47.06) 25 5 20 3 Secondary (100) (20.00) (80.00) 21 3 18 4 Higher Secondary (100) (14.29) (85.71) 150 76 74 Total (100) (50.67) (49.33) Source: Computed from the surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Parents on Sharing Time with the Children

The best companions of children are parents and grandparents. The school should encourage parents as well as the children to have close relationship with each other. In addition, children should be encouraged to maintain contact with their relatives–especially with their grandparents.

Perception of Surveyed Households 91

This assures that the children would receive the love they need, and there by stand to gain many positive traits in their personality. School-age children need longer periods with each parent. Parents should not quarrel in front of the children for it will create psychological fears in the minds of the children. Children of all ages need to know that their parents would never abandon them; rather they would always protect them. Table 5.28 shows perception of parents on sharing time with the children. Of the 150 surveyed households, only 49 percent of the parents used to share their time with the children. At the primary level only 29 percent of the parents do spend time with the children for their study. This proportion has gradually risen from primary (29%) to higher secondary (86%) levels. It reveals that the parents realized the importance only during the later part of their school education. Proper counseling is needed to the non-attentive parents to make them play consciously a positive role in the career of their children.

Table5.28: Perception of Parents on Sharing Time with the Children

No.of Sharing Time with Children S.No Type of School Surveyed Households

Yes No 70 20 50 1 Primary (100) (28.57) (71.43) 34 16 18 2 Middle (100) (47.06) (52.94) 25 20 5 3 Secondary (100) (80.00) (20.00) 21 18 3 4 Higher Secondary (100) (85.71) (14.29) 150 74 76 Total (100) (49.33) (50.67) Source: Computed from the surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Perception of Surveyed Households 92

Box 5.4: Minority Scholarship- Beneficiary

Rahim’s father is running an Electrical Business shop in Chidambaram, and his mother wants her two sons to become professionals unlike their father who dropped-out from school due to family constraints. However, the father is striving hard to give the best environment he could provide to his children to pursue their education

Rahim is studying 8th Standard in the Government School and always gets good grades in his exams. In view of his performance and also taking into account his parents low income, he has been awarded Minority Scholarship for the past three years.

Minority Scholarship- Beneficiary

Pre-matric Pre-matric Year Cuddalore District Nagapattinam District

No. of Amount No. of Students Amount Students

2013-2014 11,414 1,31,92,500 13,225 2,91,20,500

2014-2015 (I) 13,419 2,91,00,090 15,582 3,01,20,050

2014-2015 (II) 1,998 19,98,000 2,125 21,25,000

Total 26,831 4,42,90,590 30,932 6,13,65,550

Source: Minority Welfare Officer, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam.

He says that this has motivated him to study well, since good marks are also considered for availing himself of the scholarship. He also said that, “I have inherited good qualities and traits of my parents that play an important role in success, “He adds that father always has a positive attitude; he views things positively and has always been hopeful towards things while my mother is always behind my good performance in studies.” He aspires to become a Mechanical Engineer and added that the scholarship has really encouraged him to move ahead with high spirits. Table 6.2 shows the year wise details of minority scholarships sanctioned by ECS to the students of Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts.

Perception of Surveyed Households 93

Communication with the Schools

Parents in general expect phone or face-to-face communication with the teachers of their wards at least twice a year. It is observed that the communication with majority (91%) of parents is quite satisfactory (Table 5.29). It goes well with the previous observation in respect of employing SMS. This has to be employed all the more effectively as a regular feature for tracking the performance of the children. Across the levels of school, the proportion of parents in having communication with the schools differs marginally. It is expected that these types of communication services would improve the performance of students.

Table 5.29: Perception of Parents on Communication with the Schools

No.of Communication with the No.of S.No Type of School Surveyed schools Children Households Yes No 106 97 9 1 Primary 70 (100) (91.51) (8.49) 61 55 6 2 Middle 34 (100) (90.16) (9.84)

39 37 2 3 Secondary 25 (100) (94.87) (5.13) 27 23 4 4 Higher Secondary 21 (100) (85.19) (14.81) 233 212 21 Total 150 (100) (90.99) (9.01) Source: Computed from the surveyed parents of school children. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Type of Family

According to sociologists, there are two types of family systems in the world: “The Joint Family System (JFS)” and “The Separate Family System (SFS)”. In majority of the Muslim houses, it is seen that till an elderly person or the head of the house, like parents, is/are alive, the siblings stick together. Perception of Surveyed Households 94

Table 5.30: Type of Surveyed Households

No.of Type of Households S.No School Level of children Surveyed Households Joint(JFS) Nuclear(SFS)

Primary 70 8 62 1 (100) (11.43) (88.57)

34 12 22 2 Middle (100) (35.29) (64.70)

25 7 18 3 Secondary (100) (28.00) (72.00)

21 3 18 4 Higher Secondary (100) (14.29) (85.71)

150 30 120 Total (100) (20.00) (80.00) Source: Computed from the Surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

However, with the passage of time there is an increase in the rate of families who have started living separately after living in a joint family system for generations. In general, Muslims follow JFS traditionally, and this system has gradually moved into SFS due to fusion and fission of families, and also as a result of the demonstration effect in other religions. This has been witnessed in the study regions of Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts. Table 5.30 depicts the surveyed households and their family system. Of the surveyed 150 households, 80 per cent practice Nuclear or SFS, and the rest 20 per cent follow joint family system. This is not different from the usual pattern that is witnessed in general with any segment of population. The joint family system is slowly disappearing everywhere.

Home Work / Home Assignments

Homework can be an important tool to help children review and practice the skills taught in schools and can improve their learning. In addition, homework can help enhance children’s

Perception of Surveyed Households 95 personal growth by teaching them responsibility, independent work habits, organization, and time management. Table 5.31: Perception of Parents on Home Assignments

No.of No.of Home Assignments S.No Type of School Surveyed Children Households Frequent Sufficient 106 85 21 1 Primary 70 (100) (80.19) (19.81) 61 40 21 2 Middle 34 (100) (65.57) (34.43) 39 29 10 3 Secondary 25 (100) (74.36) (25.64) 27 19 8 4 Higher Secondary 21 (100) (70.37) (29.63) 233 173 60 Total 150 (100) (74.25) (25.75) Source: Computed from the surveyed parents of school children. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

Table 5.31 gives the perception of parents on home assignments to their children. Three questions were administered to the parents. They are: rigorous or frequent or sufficient. Of these three levels of assignment, parents have ignored rigorous assignment and answered only for frequent and sufficient assignments. The perception of parents differs significantly between frequent assignment (74.25%) and sufficient assignment (25.75%). All the surveyed parents do have satisfaction on home assignments, and they expect that the school teachers have to view such type of assignments as an important one, which gradually builds the learning capacity of their wards.

Involvement of Parents in the Development of Schools

School is a place where students with different abilities and talents are admitted. It becomes the duty of the school to provide such services that give the opportunities to the students to bring out their inherent abilities. Perception of Surveyed Households 96

Table 5.32: Involvement of Parents in the Development of Schools Involvement of Parents No.of Surveyed S.No Type of School Households Involved Not Involved 70 45 25 1 Primary (100) (64.29) (35.71) 34 18 16 2 Middle (100) (52.94) (47.06) 25 20 5 3 Secondary (100) (80.00) (20.00) 21 16 5 4 Higher Secondary (100) (76.19) (23.81) 150 99 51 Total (100) (66.00) (34.00) Source: Computed from the surveyed Households. Note: Figures in Parentheses are Percentages to Total.

School hobby development programmes like literary club, wildlife club, nature club, sports club, theatre and movies club are some of the progressive steps in this regard. Some of the parents have reported being active as volunteers either in the classroom or as care takers during school field trips. Parent volunteers served as classroom helpers to teachers, working with small groups of children on reading assignments or assisting with recreational activities. In all, about two third of parents (66%) affirm that they are involved in the development of school policies (Table 5.32). This affirmation is the highest at the secondary education level in which 80 percent of parents say that they partake in developing the school policies. This is a heartening feature from the angle of modern methods of administering schools.

Conclusion

In the light of the above discussion, the perception of parents of Muslim children studying in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts may be summarized. They are:

i. Drug and Alcohol abuse prevention programmes have to be scaled up seriously and organized in all schools of study. Through this method, we can prevent such type of abuses rather than involving in curing, if they have been addicted.

Perception of Surveyed Households 97

ii. Only three fourth of students avail counseling services provided by the schools. These services would help in continuing school education and avoiding school dropouts. iii. Students have availed themselves of the benefit around 70 per cent from the specialized staff such as Speech Therapists, Psychologists, and Doctors. These services have to be scaled up, if they require such type of services. iv. Parents of Muslim children perceive that children are safer and secure in schools, which is a prime factor in the education of girls. v. Many parents do not prefer to send their children for field trips. In total only 22 percent of the parents have opted to send their children for the field trips. Perhaps, there is still a social inhibition in sending girl children for field trips, fearing risks. vi. Parents have a favorable outlook in participating in school meetings, which is quite suggestive of their involvement in the education of their children. Positive perception is quite high, close to 90 percent of the surveyed households. vii. A substantial number of primary schools are located in proximity (80%), at a distance of less than 1km. Nearly 50 percent of the children at the middle level of education have this advantage. viii. Around 79 percent of surveyed households have opined that the schools have performed group projects, assessing individual performance, and conducting of frequent tests. Besides, teachers check homework and counsel the slow learners. ix. Of the surveyed 150 parents, 88 parents have realized and witnessed that their children read well and they have expressed their full satisfaction. x. In the context of teachers’ communication skills, 99 percent of the parents record their positive view that their children’s teachers have good teaching skills. xi. The perception of parents on effective English language acquisition programme has reached only to 39 percent of the students. xii. The participation of students in extracurricular activities is 94 percent, and they do participate in the activities of special classes, sports, yoga, karate, NCC, and JRC. xiii. The participation of students in intramural activities is 73 percent, and they do participate in dance, drama, quiz programme, chess, and carom board.

Perception of Surveyed Households 98

xiv. The availability of publication in school libraries is to the level of 17 percent in other languages. xv. Schools have organized special programmes to control misbehavior among students, and 85 percent of the parents have revealed that the schools have organized such type of programmes. xvi. Allowing students leave school premises by the parents may be a violation of guidelines. These practices are registered in 23 percent of cases. xvii. Wearing uniform is to avoid all types of discrimination. Overall, 95 percent of the parents have opined that their children wear uniform, and also the school teachers call the parents directly and provide advises, if any. xviii. In order to enhance the level of attendance, the school administration has provided incentives to students like gifts, prizes etc. This has been witnessed and realized by 91 percent of the surveyed households. xix. Overall 87 percent of the parents have revealed that their children use libraries and enjoyed the benefits. xx. Apart availability of local library, scouting organizations, public and private schools, and other resources which would supplement their learning process, the parents’ perception is 80 percent revealing that they have no awareness on such type of services. xxi. In the context of medium of education, around 80 percent of Muslim students opt for Tamil Medium. A marginal difference could be seen between male (19%) and female (17%) children in studying English medium. xxii. Involvement of parents involving in male children education is 37 percent and female children is 55 percent. This trend can be seen in respect of all four levels of education. xxiii. At the primary level, 77 percent of the children are being sent to Anganwadi centres, and parents try to avoid their nuisance during day hours and thereby make them free to do their work. xxiv. Parents expect to have additional facilities and services from the schools. Specifically, 29 percent of the parents expect SMS facilities for receiving information on children performance in studies, attendance and absenteeism.

Perception of Surveyed Households 99

xxv. Of the surveyed households representing 233 children, 68 children are absent due to following reasons. They are sickness (8.58%), poor economic condition (12.88%), commuting to school from long distance (2.15%), and children’s involvement in the household work (5.58%). xxvi. Perception of parents on sharing time with the children is only to the level of 49 percent.

Perception of Surveyed Households 100

CHAPTER VI

SUMMARY AND WAY FORWARD

Taking into consideration the discussion above on the status of Muslims elementary education, it can be concluded that the educational attainment of Muslims children have greatly improved in terms of enrolment and elementary school completion rates. With the rural areas becoming better connected and with the government vigorously pushing the agenda of universalization of elementary education, enrolment has increased considerably, especially at the elementary level.

As per the CEO records and present survey, there is no out of school children in both the districts of study. This could be the solid achievement of the Education Department and the commitment of teachers in tracking all the eligible children in the locality and enrolling them in the schools.

Though the Muslim parents’ vision towards education is still traditional, it could be found that there are no hiccups in continuing education till the Middle school level. Problems for both Muslim boys and girls in rural areas are relatively fewer at the primary stage of schooling, but problems arise when they go to higher classes. A very few boys in the upper primary classes are drawn into the world of work to support their parents in their livelihood.

In the lower classes, there is no discrimination with regard to gender in educating the children. However, in a few cases, the gender bias starts peeking up when the girls reach puberty, and some parents do not want to give higher education to their daughters due to many reasons. However, the primary data and secondary data conducted reveals that most of the parents have realized that education alone can make the child’s future bright, and wanted the girl child to complete up to 10th or 12th standard, if not graduation. This change in mindset of the Muslim parents is due to the tireless efforts made by the teachers and the Government in imparting inclusive education to all.

One of the problems which needs utmost attention is with regard to CWSN. The number of disabled children is more in Muslim Communities, and this could be attributed to the

Summary and Way Forward 101 practice of inbreeding. There is a high incidence of mental retardation and other genital handicaps among Muslims, showing the unhealthy consequences of this practice. Though the Government is pushing up efforts to cater to the needs of CWSN in terms of physical infrastructure like ramps, toilets etc., major challenges remain awaiting action such as early identification of disability, sensitization of teachers and students, provision of adequate resource support for inclusive education in schools, and most important, incorporating the true spirit of inclusive education. The top most priority should be accorded to imparting education and awareness to all communities in general on the negative consequences of inbreeding which could pave way to curb this problem in the budding stage itself.

The educational achievements registered by the district in terms of Muslim elementary level could be attributed to the untiring efforts of the ICDS/Anganwadi workers to give the children a more solid foundation in their early years of schooling. Children from poor families, particularly first-generation learners, require pre-primary education to acquire some level of readiness for primary schooling. Anganwadi, as part of the Integrated Child Development Services program, in addition to providing non-formal pre-school education combats nutrition, hunger, and health problems of the children. To improve access of children to Anganwadi centers, the number of centers could be increased in certain packets, and at the same time more emphasis could be given to quality of preschool education and basic infrastructure.

The survey revealed that some Muslim children were partially or fully socially abandoned and excluded from the mainstream, and some of these children are mentally unstable. The parents of these children have come out of their houses due to various reasons such as family disputes, divorces, mental instabilities, second or third marriage, illegal affairs, and so on. This children stay in the nearby Dargah or Mosques and are helped by the public and others. Specific interventions are needed to realize the true spirit of Inclusive Universal education.

The surveys conducted reveal that access to school is not a problem with regard to primary education. The number of schools has increased over the years, which has eliminated the distance barrier, and the results of the same could be witnessed in terms of improved enrolment rates. However, the access to school is still fairly important for rural females, Summary and Way Forward 102 particularly among older age groups. Access continues to be a barrier for some other groups of children such as children of migrant families and children with disabilities.

The study indicated that most of the schools have Pucca buildings and the school infrastructure in terms of classrooms, toilets, electrification, and drinking water has improved steadily over the past decades. But the parents and the teachers insisted that greater attention should be paid towards maintenance of these infrastructural facilities.

The parents expressed satisfaction over their children’s performance both at school and at home. The parents appreciated the efforts taken by the school administration and the teachers; however, some problems related to teaching, maintenance of school facilities, and governance have impacted school quality. Though almost cent percent enrolment has been achieved, most of the Muslim children are first-generation school-goers, and they need extra attention as well as innovative methods of teaching to attract them and help them to adapt themselves. Activity Based Learning (ABL) could be implemented in all the schools as a way of reducing achievement gaps in gender and social groups along with provision of child centered and child friendly education.

Lack of awareness is one of the reasons that hinder the efficacy of many government schemes and programmes. Without understanding the basic eligibility norms, certain parents felt that their children were not given scholarships. School governance and the quality of education could be improved by setting up School Management Committees. The committee may monitor the functioning of the school and suggest remedial measures. The stake holders of the school and the local community members could be inducted into the committee as members. This would help to sensitize the people on the various Government schemes introduced for the benefit of the minorities.

Suggestions

 Increase in awareness among Muslims about the importance of education and the resultant social and economic well-being that could be achieved through it.  The community should be sensitized on the evils of inbreeding.

Summary and Way Forward 103

 The community should be educated to opt for small family size for the improvement of socio-economic condition of Muslims.  Increase in awareness among Muslim parents to develop a positive attitude towards girls’ higher education.  Governmental incentives and scholarships are also necessary for the poor and deprived Muslims. The number and amount of scholarship may be increased periodically on par with inflation.  It is warranted to provide 3G connectivity with necessary infrastructure enabling to upload the data in time in all categories and types of schools, specifically for sanctioning scholarships through Electronic Clearing Services (ECS).  Poor Muslim children should be given scholarships irrespective of their performance at least up to their schooling to encourage them to complete school education and to attract them to do their higher studies.  School administration and other staff have to be trained for operating the computer system and make them to upload the data as error free.  There is a need to develop more girls’ school to minimize the problem of accessibility of schools.  There is a need to induct Urdu teachers at least in Muslim majority schools wherever they are in demand.  Taking into consideration the number of CWSN, one or two residential centres with all facilities, at the district headquarters could be established. Well trained Disability Specific teachers could be appointed to educate these children. This will help solve most of the problems of these children rather than insisting on infrastructural facilities in all the schools in the district.  School governance and the quality of education could be improved by setting up School Management Committees.

Summary and Way Forward 104

Acronyms

AAR Age-Specific Attendance Rate ABL Activity Based Learning AIES All India Education Survey AIMMP Area Intensive Madrasa Modernisation Program AWC Anganwadi Centre BEO Block Education Officer CAL Computer Aided Learning CCA Co-Curricular Activities CCE Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation CEO Chief Educational Officer CEO Chief Executive Officer CLIP Children Language Improvement Programme CSWN Children with Disabilities and Special Needs CWSN Children With Special Needs DOR Drop Out Rate EAA Extra-Academic Activities EBBs Educationally Backward Blocks ECCE Early Childhood Care and Education ECS Electronic Clearing Services GER Gross Enrolment Ratio GoI Government of India ICDS Integrated Child Development Services ICDS Integrated Child Development Services JFS Joint Family System JRC Junior Red Cross KGBV Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya LEP Learning Enhancement Programme MDGs Millennium Development Goals MDM Mid-Day Meal NCC National Cadet Corps NCERT National Council for Educational Research and Training NCM National Commission for Minorities NER Net Enrolment Ratio

Acronyms 105

NFE Non-formal Education NMMS National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship NPEGEL National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level OSMS Online Scholarship Management System RMSA Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan RTE Right to Education SCERT State Council of Educational Research and Training SFS Separate Family System SLAS State Level Achievement Survey SPQEM Scheme for Providing Quality Education for Madrasa SSA Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan SSE Statistics of School Education SSHE Sanitation and Hygiene Education Programme UEE Universal Elementary Education UGC University Grants Commission VEC Vocational Education Committees

Acronyms 106

Annexure I - School Survey Schedule

Details of Interviewee (Head Master/Senior School Teacher)

District Name Name Block Name Age Village/Town Sex Qualification School Name Designation School Code Duration of Service Contact Address with Mobile No:

Section 1: Details of Schools

1.1. Management of school (1) Government, (2) Local Body, (3) Private Aided, (4) Private Unaided (5) Others specify 1.2. Give below the class-wise enrolment as on31st January 2015. Class Enrolment of Total Enrolment Scheduled Castes Scheduled Tribes Muslims (SC) (ST) Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. Total

School Survey Schedule 107

1.3: During last ten years details of dropout Muslim children in the school

Class upto Class in which Reason of which S.No NAME he / she got dropout/ Address he / she enrolled Year studied

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

1.4 Management of School [1] Government [2] Local Body [3] Private aided [4] Private Unaided 1.5 Type of school [1] PRIMARY / [2] MIDDLE / [3] SECONDARY 1.6 Nature of School [1] BOYS / [2] GIRLS / [3] CO-EDUCATION 1.7 No. of Teachers in School Total Male Female  For primary level (Upto Class V)  For middle level (Upto Class VIII)

School Survey Schedule 108

 For secondary level (Upto Class IX) 1.8 Level of Education of Teachers (average) UG / PG/ M.Phil

1.9 Total strength of students in school in the present session 1.10 Total strength of students in school in the last session 1.11 Condition of School Building [1] ASBESTOS/ [2] PUCCA/ [3] SEMI PUCCA (Mention No.of Sq.ft) 1.12 Number of Rooms in School Primary Middle

High Secondary

1.13 Are rooms available for conducting all classes? [1] YES/ [2] NO 1.14 Place where classes are conducted [1] ROOM / [2] TENT / [3] Other (Specify) 1.15 Sitting arrangement for students [1]BENCHES/ [2] FLOOR/ [3]other (specify) 1.16 Basic Amenities Available in the school:  Play Ground [1] YES / [2] NO  Sports Equipment [1] YES / [2] NO If yes, what kind of equipment?  Other hobby facilities/Co-curricular activities  Drinking water [1] YES / [2] NO  Toilet facilities [1] YES / [2] NO  Separate toilet for girls [1] YES / [2] NO  Separate toilet for teachers [1] YES / [2] NO  Electricity [1] YES / [2] NO  Fans [1] YES / [2] NO  Ventilation in class rooms [1] No ventilation/ [2] Improper ventilation / [3] Proper ventilation

1.17 Teaching Aids available in school  Audio [1] YES / [2] NO If yes, what kind?______ Visual [1] YES / [2] NO If yes, what kind?______ Blackboards in classes [1] YES / [2] NO  School Library [1] YES / [2] NO

School Survey Schedule 109

1.18 Which basic amenities are lacking in school?

1.19 What initiatives were made by the school authorities to fulfill the need?

1.20 How far were they successful?

1.21 School Timings during summer 1.22 School timings during winter 1.23 Vacations are during which months? 1.24 What subjects are taught in school?

1.25 Any co-curricular activities [1] YES/ [2] NO

1.26 What is the medium of instruction [1] TAMIL / [2] ENGLISH 1.27 Are all students capable of understanding through this medium? 1.28 Approximate radius/area/ villages served by the school: 1.29 Mode of transport by children to reach school: 1.30 Condition of roads from residence to school? [1] Very Poor / [2] Poor /

[3] Average / [4] Good / [5] Very Good 1.31 Village Education Committee (VEC) in the School. [1] YES / [2] NO 1.32 How often does the VEC meet? [1] Monthly / [2] Quarterly / [3] Annually / [4] Other (specify) 1.33 Issues that are usually discussed in the meetings

School Survey Schedule 110

1.34 Is there any supervision conducted in the school by the state/ district authorities? [1] YES / [2] NO If yes,  Who conducts the supervision? [1] Monthly / [2] Quarterly

 How frequently is the supervision conducted? 1.35 Is there any interaction between parents and teachers? [1] YES / [2] NO 1.36 Are Parent-Teacher meetings conducted in the school [1] YES / [2] NO If yes, How often? [1] Quarterly / [2] Bi-annually / [3] Annually  How are the parents informed of these meetings?  What percentage of parents attends the meetings?  How useful are these meetings? [1] Not useful / [2] Useful / [3] Very Useful  What is the parents’ attitude towards the meetings? [1] Very negative / [2] Negative / [3] Indifferent / [4] Positive / [5] Very Positive  What issues do parents mostly discuss? [1] basic amenities / [2] teaching – learning process / [3] Personal and Household difficulties/ [4] other (specify) 1.37 What Schemes/ govt. programmes are being implemented in the school as an incentive for children to attend school? - Free Text Books - Free Midday Meal - Free School Uniform - Any other (Specify) i. ii. 1.38 What difficulties come in way of implementing these schemes?

School Survey Schedule 111

SECTION 2: Qualitative Information – Socio-cultural Issues

2.1 What are the main occupations of the parents of school children?

2.2 What is the general education level of parents? Fathers Education : [Mothers Education : 2.3 How much importance do the local people give to their children’s education?

For boys?

For girls?

2.4 Differences in attitude, if any, observed in caste groups or any other disadvantaged section of the society? Reason

2.5 What kind of complaints do parents usually register? [1] regarding basic amenities/ [2] regarding teaching-learning process/ [3] others (specify)

2.6 Any irregular attendance pattern has been observed in school? (seasonal, gender wise, caste wise and others)

2.7 What action do the school authorities take for irregular attendance of student(s)?

School Survey Schedule 112

2.8 What are the main reasons for students leaving the school before completing studies?

2.9 What encouragement do the school authorities provide to children to continue school and to bring the drop out children back to school?

What kinds of hindrances come in way while doing so?

2.10 Suggestions for type of courses which need to be introduced in school to reduce the frequency of drop out?

2.11 Types of incentives for students to attend classes?

2.12 Any special incentives given to students of disadvantaged groups BPL/ SC/ etc.? [1] YES / [2] NO If yes, what are they?

2.13 Do Children, in general, show interest in the school? Do children take part in co-curricular activities? Do children ask questions and voice their difficulties in the classroom? 2.14 Suggestions for reducing school dropout and increasing enrollment:

School Survey Schedule 113

Annexure II - Enrollment Survey Schedule

Section 1 - Details of the Household Name of the Household Head/Address/Contact No 1.1

1.2 Sex of the Household Head [1] MALE / [2] FEMALE

1.3 Occupation of the Household Head

1.4 Caste

1.5 Type of Family [1] joint / [2] nuclear/ [3] extended 1.6 Average monthly income of the Household 1.7 Economic Classification of Family [1] APL / [2] BPL 1.8 No. of children who were never enrolled in school 1.9 No. of children who left school before completing school

Section 2 - Children Particulars Average Sex Name of the Annual S.No M [1]/ Age Class School Medium Child School [F]2 Expenditure 2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

2.5

Section 3 - School enrolment / attendance / drop out pattern S.No Details Prioritize How many schools (co-ed, boys and for girls) are there in the 3.1 village/ nearby areas?

Enrollment Survey Schedule 114

Are any pre-school institutions including Anganwadi Centres 3.2 (AWCs) functioning in your area?

Are the children sent to AWCs or other pre-schools before admitting 3.3 to primary school? At what age parents generally send their children to school?

Is there any Education Committee in your area? What role does it 3.4 play?

What is the enrolment pattern of children in the village/ urban 3.5 location for primary as well as secondary level (for boys and girls, for BPL families)?

What is the attendance pattern in classes for primary as well as secondary level (reason, if low attendance; any seasonal pattern of 3.6 attendance-reason, differential attendance pattern for boys and girls)?

What changes are observed in attitude/ interest of children towards 3.7 studies after taking any break from school due to seasonal pattern?

What encouragement is provided from state/district/village/school 3.8 authorities so that children resume the school? What kind of difficulties do they face while doing so?

What types of mechanisms are available for parents-teachers 3.9 meetings, and there usefulness?

What kind of support is given to needy/disadvantaged parents? 3.10 How? Details.

Enrollment Survey Schedule 115

Section 4 – Strategy S.No Details Prioritize What interventions would be required for motivating parents and 4.1 children for completion of schooling?  Infrastructure / basic amenities at school  Motivation to children/parents.  Teachers’ roles in reducing drop out.  Introducing vocational or any other such training.

 Introduction of SMS services related to homework, attendance, marks, etc.  Role of govt. and other institutions in reducing drop out.

Section 5 - Location of School S.No Details Prioritize Do you want your child to go to a school within walking distance of 5.1 your home? [1] YES / [2] NO

Can your child’s talents be nurtured outside your neighborhood? [1] 5.2 YES / [2] NO

How far are you willing to have your child bused? 5.3 [1] YES / [2] NO If, Yes details How far are you willing to drive your child to school? [1] YES / [2] NO 5.4 If, Yes details

Does your child want to be in a school with his or her friends? [1] YES / [2] NO 5.5

Do you want your child to go to a school near your after-school care? Near where you work? Near a close relative? 5.6 [1] YES / [2] NO

Does your child have any special transportation needs that must be considered in choosing a school? [1] YES / [2] NO 5.7

If, Yes details

Do you want your child’s educational setting to be in the home? Via Home Education or a Virtual School? 5.8

Enrollment Survey Schedule 116

Section 6 – Curriculum S.No Prioritize

Does the school have a strong program of core academic subjects such as English, history, mathematics, science? 6.1 [1] YES / [2] NO If yes, details

What courses does the school offer in addition to the core subjects? 6.2

What evidence is there that the school is effectively teaching students 6.3 to read?

Does the school have a special focus or theme for the curriculum? [1] YES [2] NO 6.4 If yes, details

Does the school provide enrichment opportunities for all students? For gifted students? 6.5

Does the school have extracurricular activities that support what is 6.6 taught?

Is there an effective English language acquisition program for children who need it?

6.7 If your child has special learning needs, does the school have a curriculum and the necessary supports to appropriately accommodate those needs?

Approach to Learning: Does the school have a particular approach to teaching and learning (e.g., group projects, individual performance, frequent testing)?

6.8 If yes, do you think your child will enjoy and learn from this approach?

Does the school do all it can to make sure each child learns?

6.9

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Does it provide opportunities for children to get extra help when they 6.10 need it?

Is the school staff able to communicate in the language that your 6.11 child understands?

Are children with limited English language skills, learning disabilities, or other special needs learning and performing well on 6.12 tests?

What is the homework policy? Does it match your expectations for how much homework your child should do? 6.13

Do you want your child to go to a single-gender (all-boy or all-girl) school, or a coeducational school? 6.14

How large are the classes? 6.15

Section 7 - Behavior Policy S.No Details Prioritize What does the school do to help develop character and citizenship? 7.1

What is the discipline policy? How does the school handle students 7.2 who misbehave?

Are teachers fair in their responses to students? Does the school have a program and supports to prevent and address behavior problems? 7.3

7.4 Are students allowed to leave school by themselves?

What measures has the school taken to ensure safety? 7.5

What security measures are in place? 7.6

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What is the policy on school absences? How does the school encourage daily attendance? 7.7

Do school personnel call parents when students are absent? 7.8

Does the school have a drug and alcohol abuse prevention program? 7.9

Does the school have a dress code? Do students wear uniforms? 7.10

7.11 Reasons if attendance pattern is irregular and drop out is high.  Socio-economic (child’s involvement in household work/ business activities, poor economic conditions of family, security of girls, behaviour of teachers in school).  Parental attitude and why?  Related to School (distance of school, commuting to school, medium of instruction in school, non-availability of (female) teachers/ absenteeism of teachers, timings of school, infrastructure at schools like drinking water, toilet facilities etc.,) Section 8 - Special Offerings S.No Prioritize

What extracurricular activities does the school offer after school or on weekends? 8.1

Do all students have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular 8.2 activities?

What intramural activities are available to students? 8.3

What activities receive the most attention and resources? 8.4

Are there school and student publications? 8.5

Does the school sponsor field trips? Are they available to all students? 8.6

Enrollment Survey Schedule 119

Are publications for parents available in other languages? 8.7

Section 9 - Facilities and Services S.No Prioritize

Is there a well-stacked library where students can check out books and do research? Are reading materials available in other languages? 9.1

Is time provided in the day for students to go to the library? 9.2

Do students have access to computers and to the Internet in the classroom and library? 9.3

Is use of the Internet monitored? 9.4

Is there an auditorium or a large room for school assemblies? 9.5

Is a school nurse on duty daily? 9.6

Is there a cafeteria, and does the school offer a nutritionally well- balanced lunch program? 9.7

Breakfast program? Does the school have extended day programs, before or after school supervision, or both? 9.8

Are there tutoring programs? 9.9

Are counseling services available to students? 9.10

Is the school accessible to children with mobility limitations? 9.11

Enrollment Survey Schedule 120

Section 10 - Additional Questions About Home Education S.No Details Prioritize Have you identified curriculum materials for your child, and how much will they cost? 10.1

Is there a suitable place for your child’s study and instruction? Do you, your spouse, or another home educating parent have adequate 10.2 free time to be available to your child?

Do other families in your area home educate their children? 10.3

Is there a support group of home education families near you? 10.4

If you are interested in some outside instructional support, have you checked your local library, parks department, scouting organizations, public and private schools, and similar resources? 10.5

Have you searched the Web for resources on instruction, legal issues, support groups, and other matters? 10.6

Have you identified other resources you will need? 10.7

Section 11 – Teachers S.No Prioritize

How do teachers grade student work? 11.1

Do teachers have high expectations for all students to achieve high academic standards? 11.2

How do teachers inform students of their expectations? 11.3

Enrollment Survey Schedule 121

Do teachers share the course content and objectives with parents? 11.4

When and how frequently are teachers available for parent 11.5 conferences?

Do teachers assign homework? Is it rigorous? Frequent? Sufficient? 11.6

Are the teachers highly qualified to teach in their subject areas (do they know the subjects they are teaching)? 11.7

Do teachers have the skills and knowledge to address students with special learning needs? 11.8

Are specialized staffs available to address the special learning needs of a child (e.g., speech therapist, psychologist or aides)? 11.9

Do the teachers know the individual students in their classes? 11.0

Are teachers willing to provide extra help to students? 11.11

What is the school’s policy regarding teacher response to parent inquiries? 11.12

Do teachers have Web sites with class notes and other information for students and parents? 11.13

Section 12 – Students S.No Prioritize

What is the attendance rate for students? 12.1

What do students say about the principal? 12.2

What do students say about the teachers? 12.3

Enrollment Survey Schedule 122

Do the students have school spirit? 12.4

What do students say about homework? 12.5

Do students participate in and enjoy field trips? 12.6

Do students feel safe and secure at the school? 12.7

What else do students say about the school? 12.8

Section 13 - Parent and Community Involvement S.No Details Prioritize How does the school encourage parental involvement? 13.1

What are the ways parents can get involved? 13.2

Are parents encouraged to volunteer? 13.3

Does the school have an active parent-teacher organization? 13.4

Does the school hold meetings and events at times when parents can attend? 13.5

How well attended are back-to school nights by parents? 13.6

Are families expected to be involved with homework? 13.7

How frequently does the school communicate with parents? 13.8

Are community leaders involved with the school? 13.9

Does the school partner with local businesses and organizations? 13.10

Enrollment Survey Schedule 123

Are parents involved in the development of school policies? 13.11

Section 14 – Reputation S.No Details Prioritize How is the school rated in the community? 14.1

How is the school viewed by other parents? 14.2

Is the school respected by other schools, particularly those that receive its students (when they move to the next level)? 14.3

Has the school won any awards? 14.4

What do the graduates of the school say? 14.5

Have graduates from the school made significant contributions to the community and their field of choice? 14.6

Enrollment Survey Schedule 124

Annexure III - Dropout Survey Schedule

SECTION 1 : DETAILS OF THE HOUSEHOLD 1.1 Name of the Household Head/Address/Contact No

1.2 Sex of the Household Head [1] MALE / [2] FEMALE

1.3 Occupation of the Household Head

1.4 Caste 1.5 Type of Family [1] Joint / [2] Nuclear/ [3] Extended 1.6 Average monthly income of the Household 1.7 Economic Classification of Family [1] APL / [2] BPL 1.8 No. of children who were ever enrolled in school 1.9 No. of children who left school before completing school

1.10: Sex Occupation/ S.N Relation with Marital Education** Age M-1 Employment**** o Dropout child* Status** F-2 Code Specify Main Subsidiary 1 2 3 4 5 * Father=1, Mother=2, Brother=3, Sister=4, Grandfather =5, Grandmother = 6 , self =7, 8 =uncle, 9 =aunt, 10=cousin, 11=sister-in-law, 12 =nephew/niece ** Married=1/ Unmarried=2/ Divorced=3/ separated=4 *** Illiterate=1, Primary =2, Upper Primary=3, High School=4, Higher Secondary school=5, College=6, Technical=7, Informal Education=8, Others= 9 (Specify) **** Agriculture=1, Animal Husbandry=2, Forestry = 3, Fisheries=4, Petty Shops=5, Business=6, Govt. Service =7, Private Service = 8, Teacher = 9, Any other (specify) = 10

Dropout Survey Schedule 125

SECTION 2 : DETAILS OF CHILD AND HIS / HER ATTITUDE 2.1 Do you discriminate Male / Female children [1] Yes [2] No If yes, details 2.2 Class after which dropped out 2.3 Did child go to any pre-school [1] YES / [2] NO 2.4 If not, why 2.5 What was the age of child when he/she was enrolled for the first time (in complete years) 2.6 How was commuting to school done?

2.7 How was commuting done in the rainy season?

2.8 Did you like going to school? [1] YES / [2] NO

2.9 What are the reasons for which the child liked going to school? Prioritize [1] Liked learning at school [2] School was good [3] Teachers were good [4] Other friends/ neighbours were going to school [5] Co-curricular activities/games were great fun fare [6] Any other 2.10 What are the reasons for which the child did not like going to school? Prioritize [1] Economic constraints /poverty [2] Health problems [3] Behaviour of teachers [4] Teachers’ absenteeism [5] School timings [6] Syllabus difficult and uninteresting [7] Medium of instruction (language problem) [8] School is far (specify means of communication) [9] Others (Specify)

Dropout Survey Schedule 126

2.11 Why did the child leave school? Prioritize [1] No separate school for girls [2] Improper school building [3] Lack of toilets in school [4] Lack of drinking water in school [5] Absenteeism of teachers [6] Child afraid of teachers [7] Progress of child not good [8] Failure \repetition [9] Education is not necessary as it is not liked with available jobs [10] Need to household chores [11] Involved in business [12] Easy availability of employment/demand of labour [13] Parents not interested [14] No interest in studies [15] Early marriage [16] To look after siblings [17] Health problems [18] Security of girls [19] Others (specify) 2.12 What was the reaction of parents when the child left school? [1] Angry/ [2] Persuaded to go to school/ [3] No reaction/ [4] Happy

2.13 What was the reaction of school teachers when the child left school?

2.14 Does the child want to go back to school? [1] YES/ [2] NO 2.15 Why?

Dropout Survey Schedule 127

2.16 In what household activities did child use to participate during Prioritize schooling? [1] Looking after siblings [2] Farm labour [3] Family business/ farms [4] Doing household chores – cooking etc. [5] Others (Specify) 2.17 Is it same now? [1] YES / [2] NO 2.18 If no, what are the differences?

2.19 If desires to resume schooling, what kind of facilities he/she requires? Prioritize [1] Availability of teachers at school [2] Better teaching-learning process [3] Conveyance to school [4] Better syllabus [5] Change in medium of instructions [6] Change in school timings [7] Change in timings of vacations [8] Classrooms and other infrastructure at school [9] Any other

SECTION 3 : CHILD’S PARENT’S ROLE ON THE ISSUE 3.1 Was child getting any support from govt. during studies? [1] YES / [2] NO 3.2 If yes, what kind of support

3.3 If no, are you aware of any government support available for the children?

3.4 Did you ever try for getting any government support? Whom did you approach? (Panchayat, school authorities or any other authority)

Dropout Survey Schedule 128

3.5 What were the results? What problems did you face?

3.6 Did your child complain about the school/teachers? [1] YES/ [2] NO 3.7 Were any actions taken by you in this regard? [1] YES/ [2] NO If YES, what kind of efforts?

If NO, why?

3.8 Were any efforts taken by the authorities (State/ District/ School) to send the child back to school? [1] YES/ [2] NO 3.9 Were any efforts taken by you to send the child back to school? [1] YES/ [2] NO

If YES, What were they?

3.10 What facilities you need now to send back your child to school? Prioritize [1] Free text books [2] Free uniforms [3] Scholarship [4] Subsidized fees [5] Free hostel facilities [6] Basic facilities at School [7] Quality of teachers at school [9] Others (specify) SECTION 4 : PARENTS’ KNOWLEDGE AND ATITUDE TOWARDS CHILDREN’S EDUCATION 4.1 Is education necessary for the children? [1] YES / [2] NO  Boy  Girl

Dropout Survey Schedule 129

4.2 If YES, why/how education can help children? Boys Girls 4.3 What is the minimum education that a child should have? [1] Upto class 5 / [2] Upto class 8/ [3] Upto class 10/ [4] Upto class 12/ [5] not required  Boy  Girl 4.4 Are you aware of any education related schemes being implemented in the district/ school? [1] YES/ [2] NO 4.5 If yes, what are those schemes?

4.6 Who left leave their school more frequently? [1] BOYS/ [2] GIRLS

4.7 What needs to be done to overcome these problems?

Dropout Survey Schedule 130