Students at city madrasas wait for winter uniform

Though the UT education department has already deposited over Rs 4 crore in the students’ bank accounts for the purpose of buying winter uniform, city-based madrasas are still waiting to receive a notification on the procurement of uniform.

Not only this but the madrasas have not been included in the new system wherein the education department had opened the bank accounts of all government school students of Classes 1-8 so that they could purchase the uniform themselves as per their convenience.

The madrasa owners claim that though they had received the books in time - and even the teachers receive their salaries in time - students have not received the new sets of uniform yet. Manimajra’s Madrasa Eizahal-Uloom Mujahidi head Maulana Imran said, “Last year, we had received both the summer and winter uniform in time but this year, we had not even received the summer uniform. While winter has already started and most of the students need sweaters, we have received no notification about the winter uniform; you can see students using old sweaters.”

Madrasa Eizahal-Uloom Mujahidi, Manimajra, Madrasa Shirajul-Uloom, Govindpura, and Arobia Faizal Islam, Sector 45, that cater to over 900 students from across the city are eligible to receive books, uniform and salaries for their teachers under the grants sanctioned by the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).

In 2013, the SSA had stopped all funds to the madrasas, stating they should shift all their students to the government schools otherwise the madrasas would not be given the recognition.

They are applying to get recognition for the past three years but to no effect. It was only this year when the education department had got `16 lakh sanctioned for the city madrasas, but the money was sanctioned for the overall development. Of the fund received, the madrasas will be starting the computer classes for their students from December onwards.

However, an UT education department official said the madrasas are considered to be special training centres that provide two-year training to children, thus they receive their funds separately.