AMP conducts a successful seminar on “Best Practices in Education”

Mumbai, 6th December 2012 

Association of Muslim Professionals conducted a very informative seminar on “Best Practices in Education “as a part of its Vision 2020 program and a prelude to its Career Fest 2012 Events.

Taking in to account the presence of Best Practices in Education in some of the developed countries and considering a glaring lack of the same in our country and a not so encouraging education environment,  AMP organized an insightful discussion  on the same.

The guest consisted of high profile dignitaries from Academic, Social & Political field.

The seminar started with Mr. Aamir Idrisi, President AMP, welcoming the guests and giving a brief introduction and AMP and its activities. He also gave an insight into the planned Annual Event Career Fest-2012 the main events of which are to be organized on the 15th & 16th of December, 2012, and its scheduled programs and activities. He further spoke on the need for Best Practices in education and the purpose of this seminar.

Mrs. Fauziya Khan, Minister of State for School Education was the chief Guest for this event which also had MLA Amin Patel – Chairman of Maulana Azad Fund as the Guest of Honour which also had some prolific personalities from the academic field which included Mr. Abrarali Sayyad – Post Graduate Research Scholar from IIM(A) and Mrs. Suzzane Rodricks a seasoned academician with over 25 years of experience in the field of Education. The seminar was also attended by teachers and principals from various institutions across Mumbai.

Mr. Amin Patel, MLA & Head of Maulana Azad Fund, said that we need to introduce Skills based and Job oriented courses for the students, which can be conducted within their respective institutions so that they are employable from a very early stage in their career and which may be of great assistance for their institutions to place them. He was of the opinion that all the students doesn’t have same calibre therefore educationists play a very important role here to support such students in multiple ways.  He said that we need to focus on Education & generation of income.

Mrs. Fauziya Khan, MoS School Education said that we need to learn from communities which had been backward and exploited for more than 4000 years who have come back from the echelons of oblivion and have managed to create a place for themselves in the present society. She further said that pressure on Government is an important aspect of democracy as such we need to create an advocacy and pressure group.

We need to identify talent and focus exceptionally talented students. Further she said that the teachers need to be competent enough and be capable of providing quality education. We should involve Best Practices in education in collaboration with institutions, social organizations and the corporate. She further appreciated the role played by AMP in the social and educational field and assured her complete support to the organization in its endeavour.

Abrarali Sayyad, an IIM (A) alumni had a very interactive session with the audience. He shared his experience regarding the education environment in Gujarat. He said that we establish educational institutions but lack the objectives of the same and what kind of graduates we need to turn out from such institutions. The audience was in complete agreement with the same. Mr.Sayyad said that we need a proper Education System and improve the educational standard of the teachers as well. He further suggested that collaboration is an effective approach and trusts, Social groups and organizations/ corporate need to collaborate amongst them tying up with others to overcome for the for resources which lack in. He said that educational institutions need to focus on Skills Based Training. Some of the concerns he identified was the lack of a proper attitude amongst educationists and their commercial oriented approach. He further said that we need to develop a n independent model which should be completely self-sustained. He advised on –Defining Objective – Designing a practical/ workable model and develop it to be self-sustained.

The audience also spoke about the challenges in the present education system,  No sense of ownership amongst the trusts and Principals, and apprehensions on part of the parents. They also said that some of the things holding us back and pulling the quality of education down is a dispassionate approach and envy which forces one to step upon the other in order to move ahead in their career.

Mrs. Suzzane Rodricks, a post graduate in Education with over 25 years of experience and has been an assistant professor at Centre of Special Education, SNDT Womens University, said that the role of teachers should be of instructional leadership. They need to be proactive to get the work done. Further for institutions, more than spending on high-end infrastructure the powers that be need to focus on improving the quality of educational instructions through regular training of teachers. She said that teaching is a science which has aesthetics to it which involves theory as well as practice and we need to continuously improve to make our good practices even better. Mr. Rodricks further said that we need to keep on experimenting continuously documenting the developments and improvements  further extending it from one unit/ one institution to another. For this we need to build a conducive environment for experimenting and should refrain from reprimanding proactive educationists for their mistakes when they want to introduce something new. She was of the opinion that we need to keep on trying and should never give up.

The audience comprised of some known personalities from the field of education such as Mrs. Salma Lokhandwala, Head of school Management Anjuma-I-Islam, Mr.Ansari Mehmood Parvez – retd. Principal, Aftab Sir from Awami school, Tahir Sir – Aishabai Trust, Rizwan Sir – Hashemiah School. The audience really appreciated the initiative of AMP which was the very first in the country in the direction towards Best Practices. They said that with nothing in sight, the efforts of AMP creates ripples which surely would turn out into huge tides.

The guests and the audience in unison appreciated the sincere efforts of AMP which has time and again taken  various initiatives of identifying issues and concerns in the fields of education and social welfare and taken up as its responsibility to find a quality resolution for the same.

This event was also a prelude to the weeklong Annual Career Fest which is one of the largest  Education Guidance festivals in the country and has been successfully conducted since last 4 years.