Why Islamic School?

Under section (1) of article 30, the Indian constitution gives right to minorities to establish their own educational institutions.

A Government of India initiated Report on the Social, Economic and Educational Status of the Muslim Community of India shows that education in the Muslim community in India is in a pathetic state.

This initiative is fully self-funded – without donations, grants or loans. We believe setting up such world-class Islamic educational institutions using our own resources is our national duty. We are helping ourselves, our society and our country.

India being the largest democracy in the world allows all Indian citizens the right to raise their children as fits their own cultural identity and religious values. This great freedom enables Muslims, if they choose, to bring up their children in a pure religious environment.

Complete understanding of one’s own religion makes one a better ambassador, therefore avoiding the cultural misgivings that can be common between various communities. The need to stop further misunderstanding is more vital now than ever before. Objective inter-faith dialogues can only be conducted on strong intellectual foundation. EPS endeavors to provide such a base through comprehensive and structured religious education.

As most faith-based institutions are non-commercial, they tend to provide high-quality education at an affordable price. This has long-term social implications. If millions of Rupees are spent in providing school and university education, a vast majority of children will remain deprived and the small minority that can afford high-cost education will go out of their way to recover the millions spent. Often, but not always, a heavy initial investment can lead to greed and corruption.

In India, secularism is defined as ‘freedom to practice one’s own religion’. Establishing faith-based schools for the largest minority in India upholds the country’s secular credentials.

Gaining religious education is not optional in Islam. Providing comprehensive religious education from a young age is an obligation for every Muslim female and male, according to Qur’an and Hadith (lifestyle and guidance of Prophet Muhammad – peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Most of our moral deficiencies are a result of neglecting comprehensive Islamic education. Just reading Qur’an and offering prayers are proving inadequate. Consequently, we are paying a hefty price in this life and (Allah forbids) setting the stage for ourselves and coming generations for the same in the Life After.

ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE ON VARIOUS ISSUES

FAQ's

Answer:
Where there is a will there is a way. Practical difficulties can be overcome if people are fully convinced and committed to the cause. A person who is determined to raise his children Islamically and wants to see them succeed in life will not hesitate to make some sacrifices to achieve this goal.
EPS has very low tuition fees compared to other private/IB schools in India. Parents can budget this expense as they budget their rent, car leases, utility bill, and other expenses.
The rewards of sending children to Islamic schools outweigh any expense which parents may incur.

Answer:

Not at all. First of all, research shows that children, especially younger ones, perform better when they are in familiar social/cultural settings. Islamic school certainly gives Muslim children an atmosphere in which they can grow and excel.

Second, the human mind and personality is remarkably capable of adjusting to change. This explains the success of various immigrant communities in general and our Hindu brothers and sisters in particular across America. The members of these communities were born and raised in a totally different culture and environment. Still, after arrival, they tend to dominate many aspects of life even in an alien culture of the US.

Besides, Muslim children who attend Islamic schools are never totally out of touch with Indian society. Their exposure to the larger Indian culture is still considerable. Television, news media, neighborhoods, and non-Muslim staff in their own institutions keep the windows to the larger world wide open. Moreover, EPS will make concerted efforts that our students develop a long-term relationship with non-Muslim students of other schools through interactive visits and exchange programs.

Past research indicates that students who attend private / parochial schools performed better in their lives than their public school counterparts.

Answer:

Yes, this is not only recognized in India but also recognised worldwide. IB is an educational body of international repute. For details about the recognition of International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum by Indian universities, please refer to the webpage http://www.ibo.org/country/universities_rec.cfm?country_code=India&current_country=IN on IB’s website.

Answer:

Section (1) of Article 30 of the Constitution of India grants the right to minorities to establish their own educational institutions. Therefore, EPS is a perfectly legal institution with the aim of providing education to Muslim minorities as per their constitutional right.

Answer:

Institutions play an important role in the lives of individuals and societies. An Islamic school is important because it:

Provides Muslim children with an environment in which they can learn and live Islam. The homogeneity of their culture and values creates social and emotional stability which facilitates and accelerates their learning in general areas of education (math, science, language arts, etc.)
They develop a strong sense of belonging to the Muslim Ummah. They not only preserve rich Islamic heritage, but contribute towards development and progress of the Muslim Ummah in general and Indian nation in particular.

Answer:

Educational loss or gain has nothing to do with a school being Islamic, Jewish, Catholic or Mixed.

Many public schools, despite their enormous resources and huge bureaucratic set-ups miserably failed to deliver quality education, strong discipline, or good citizenship.

The quality of education depends on an individual institution and its commitment to excellence. People who establish an Islamic school must ensure that (a) their academic program is better or at least equivalent to good public schools and (b) their staff is professionally trained and well qualified. If these two conditions are met, then the Islamic school’s performance can be no less than that of any good school because all of the other elements of a good school are automatically present in an Islamic setting.

A Gallop Poll defined a good US-based school in the following terms:

Teachers are interested in their work and in their students.
Teachers make classes interesting.
There is variety in the curriculum.
There is good discipline.
There is respect for authority.
There is a good student / teacher relationship.
There is a good student-to-student relationship.
There is good equipment.
There are small classes.
There is good administration.

We can see that with the exception of number eight (good equipment) which can vary from school to school, all of the elements of a good school are fully present in an Islamic school. This is made possible due to the non-commercial nature of most Islamic schools. However at EPS, even equipment are top-of-the-line and can beat any comparable school in the country.

If you are submitting your application online, you can pay the Registration Fee online using either a debit or credit card (otherwise it can be paid by credit or card over the phone, among other options). Applications can only be processed once the Registration Fee has been paid.