Little girls and boys carrying the school bags also rush to the Masjids along with the believers but with twin objectives – Namaz and Tuition.
After Salah, children move to the Masjid’s basement in three different rooms, where they are taught Mathematics, English and Telugu by different tutors.
Usually one associates Masjids with learning of theological subjects – Arabic, Quran and Urdu. But at Masjid-e-Meraj, the things are different. They are now after-school Mohalla tuition centres.
It was initiated by The Quran Foundation (TQF), a non-profit organisation run by a team of professionals working in the field of information technology, education and healthcare.
Neighbourhood networks play a crucial role. Masjid management committees, tutors and students are drawn from within Masjids’ neighbourhood. The committee ensures regular attendance, quality tuition and timely discussions about performance of both students and tutors.
Syed Munawwar, TQFgeneral secretary, says there are 2500 students studying in 50 Masjids across Telangana. Most of them are either students of government schools orlow-cost private schools, popularly known as budget schools that have a mushroom growth in Hyderabad.
The idea, conceptualised in 2020 in consultation with Masjid management committees,is to have free tuition classes for the students who find it difficult to pay school fees and can’t afford private tuitions.
WhattsApp groups for parents and tutors are created. Information connecting to the students’ performance is shared with parents. Regular attendance is ensured by incentive prizes.
[Read more on Radiancenews.com]