EDUCATION AND TRAINING

School vacation is coming. Exams.have started for 12th standard and 10th exams. are about to start. As a father or brother, you are more worried about the future of your children. No more entrance exam. for professional courses. Unless the students score very good marks, it is difficult to get admissions in professional courses. You are away from home doing your business or employed. You are in other parts of India or abroad, somewhere in Saudi or in UAE, or in Africa, or in China or in Hong Kong earning your livelihood for your family. You know it is your concern to guide your sons and daughters towards better future. Our people were doing gem business or leather business or iron scrap business and inducted their sons into their business. Now the scenario has changed due to various reasons. Education has become essential not only for knowledge but also for decent living.

About 50 years back, our women were unlettered but now find at least one graduate in each house. When we talk about education, we can not forget our heroes like Janab Abdul Hai Alim, who started Kahira Padasalai, Janab L.K.Lebbe Thamby mama who carried on the mission of Janab Abdul Hai Alim and championed the starting of a High School at Peyan Vilai – K.A. High School and Janab M.K.T. Aboobacker mama who started the elementary school at central Kayal to facilitate children of that area to get education. May Allah show mercy on them.

India is not as it was before 50 years. For the last 5 years, India is marching ahead at a rapid phase in all areas, especially in technological field. Shortly we will be one of the best in the world in the field of technology. We are proud to be Indians as we are now respected anywhere in the world. I was closely associated with LK mama during my school and college days and even after that till his last days. It is not an exaggeration, and many of you who knew LK mama closely will agree with me, when I say that he was Abdul Kalam of the past. He had lot of dreams. He wanted all of our people, both men and women, to get educated. He had a strong conviction that our people are most intelligent, talented and tolerant people. Tolerant in the sense that they can live amicably whether they are in North pole or Sahara Desert. His saying has come true. Now we find our community people all over the world as Engineers, Chartered Accountants, Medical professionals, Advocates, people with doctorates in various fields, IIM MBAs, Technologists in Information, Scientists and many more.

Only area where we are lagging behind is Government jobs. We have no IAS, IPS, IFS officers. We have no Ambassadors. We have no Collectors in Administration, Customs and Excise Depts. Insha Allah, our future generation will fulfill this desire in the near future. There was a time when people who went to madrasas to become Alims and Hafizul Quran remained as Alims and Hafizs only. Now we have Engineer- Hafiz, Doctor- Hafiz, Scientist – Hafiz and so on. To my knowledge, there is no Engineer- Alim, Doctor – Alim, Scientist Alim etc. If we all spend some energy towards this goal our dreams will come true. University graduate-Alims can lead their life in spiritual way and guide our people towards Islam without any fear and prejudice.

To help you –the man away from home- we are going to post some educational and training courses that may benefit our community. Many alternatives will be presented to you. Choice is yours. We all have in our blood ‘selflessness’. We do not think of ourselves alone. We think of our neighbors and relatives. The guidelines may not be beneficial to you at present because your children are small but surely you may guide your neighbors and relatives. Let us all make a better educated and prosperous Kayalpatnam and in turn a better educated and prosperous India.

Our next posting will be, Insha Allah, on ‘Technical education and employment prospects’. This blogger spared time to attend a meeting conducted by NTTF Technical Training centre, jointly with SPIC Jaycees and SPIC Lioness Club of Thoothukudy at SPIC Gymkhana on 7th March, 2007 between 5.30 PM and 7.30 PM on the above subject. Your blogger had to forego his Magrib prayer to attend this meeting. May Allah forgive me as this is for the benefit of our community. Wait for next posting. Till then, Assalamu Alaikum. Khuda Hafiz.