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Muslims and Education in Sri Lanka

(DR RIFAI - UK)

Ustaz Mansour in one of his writings draws the attention of Muslim community to make an educational revolution in Sri Lanka.  He argues that that most important priority of Muslim community in Sri Lanka today is to create a “culture of intellectualism”.  He identifies that our community do not have a history of “intellectual culture” or historical heritage in Education.  He finds the scarcity of intellectual people within Muslim community in Sri Lanka.  He observes that   we have a handful of scholars among Muslims in Sri Lanka.  We do not have an intellectual activism or movements among Muslim communities. He further notes we have a few intellectual discussions, seminars, conferences and learning activities among Muslim community in Sri Lanka. (Usthaz Mansour website). He further makes some distinctions between graduates and intellectuals.

 He notes that we may have a lot of graduates in our community and yet, this does not mean that we have enough intellectuals among us. He defines intellectuals as someone who dedicate their life for reading, researching and learning. These people have the potentiality to look into social problems logically and rationally.  They have creativity, skills and abilities to propose solutions to burning communal problems. They make inventions, discoveries and they have skills to produce books and researches. Thus, there is a huge difference between intellectuals and mere graduates.  According to Usthaz Mansour producing a group of intellectuals among Muslims in Sri Lanka should be given most important priority among all other challenges we face today in Sri Lanka. Our families, primary schools, secondary schools.  Islamic institutes, colleges and Islamic movements should play a key role in this regards.

 Such initiative of producing a group of intellectuals should be instigated from these institutions in our community. He asserts that people should be trained and educated from childhood to think critically, examine issues rationally and logically. Thus, critical minds should be created from our childhood in our community. These ideas are suggested by Usthaz Mansour. No doubt these ideas should be prioritised by our community and yet, how we do this and what are the resources our community has got to put these ideas into practices? What mechanisms do we have to do this?   What educational strategies do we have in our community to initiate these ideas?  

 Unlike us Tamil community has got the spirit of intellectual heritage. Since the colonial times they have been doing well in education. They have motivation and dedication to work hard in the field of education. In North and East, Tamil children wake up early morning at 5 clock and go to private tuitions. Anyone who lived in Jaffna would have noticed how children are cycling to private tuitions in early morning and evening. Even today, expatriate Tamil community is doing well in the field of education all over the world.  In London Tamil children are one of best pupils in education alone side Chinese and South Korean.

 Most of the grammar schools in inner city of London areas are dominated by Tamil children. Because they are doing well in 11 plus examination which is more or less equal to our year five examination in Sri Lanka.  Tamil community has got the intellectual thirsty and crave to learn and develop their skills. In London we see many private tuition centres run by Tamil teachers.  In the same way, they used to have tuition centres back home in Sri Lanka they have started private tuition centres in major world cities. Unlike our community people, most of Tamil parents in London have a habit of moving house to nearby any best grammar school in order to secure school placements for their children in catchment areas.  

Moreover, Tamil people are actively involved in many educational activities. They conduct seminars, conferences, and classes of various types. They have different types of completion for children. They have published many books in London. Their intellectual pursuit is very much dynamic. Tamil teachers very much dedicated for Education.

 A retired Tamil Chemistry teacher runs a Weekend school in London.  He does not charge any fees. He says that that he has produced many doctors and some of them are in highly paid professions in London. He says he has got a moral satisfaction in teaching.  He says that he proud to see them doing well. Such is the ambitions of Tamil teachers?  Do we have such people among us? 

To make any educational revolution among Muslim community in Sri Lanka we need to have a several teams of dedicated teachers among Muslim community. Even today, Muslim community is suffering from shortage of teachers in many subjects. Still Tamil teachers are working in Muslim schools in many parts of Sri Lanka.  I did not make this comparison between our community and Tamils out of communal jealousy or any grudge on them rather I did this with good the intention.  Muslim community in Sri Lankan should learn many good things from Tamil community in the field of education.  We should appreciate their hard works in education. Whatever is good from them we should take it? Nothing wrong in that. 

Today, educationalists consider motivation as one driving force for learning and teaching. If you do not have any motivation and interest you do not learn.   How could we motivate Muslim community to pay more attention in education? How could we motivate our next generation into learning? Learning is mainly based on personal interest of children. It is scientifically proven that children with instant interest learn more. I think that our community should think profoundly how to motivate our next generation

We have to discuss many issues on this subject, Inshallah, we will continue this next week.  

1 comment:

  1. The author's view is correct,but mean time we have to safe guard our culture and beliefs(Islamic faith),many of our top brass so called intellectuals have lost there iman and working for money(earning through various prohibited ways,).i saw some so called highly educated people worked on bars and pubs in UK,to pay their PHD's.we need to educate our children ,not just secular education of west,but our religious education too.then only we can create a just society(we need not follow Tamils or any other ethnic groups,but our roll-model Prophet (PBUH)......... "Badusha from Dumbuluwawe."

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