WHAT MAKES AN ISLAMIC SCHOOL ISLAMIC? ::: DEVELOPING THE CURRICULUM

WHAT MAKES
AN ISLAMIC SCHOOL
ISLAMIC?

:::
 DEVELOPING THE CURRICULUM

[A paper presented by B. Aisha Lemu at the National Conference of NAMIS (Nigerian Association of Model Islamic Schools) in Ibadan, 4th/5th April 2003.]

Schools are places where knowledge is imparted. But what knowledge? Knowledge simply means "things that are known". There is no way that all things that are known can be taught to students in primary and secondary schools, or even in universities.

Therefore there has to be selection of knowledge. To establish a school curriculum, groups of experts over the years have identified various fields of knowledge which are given names like languages, maths, history, physics, art, technology, literature, geography and so on.

Over the centuries and in different civilizations the curriculum in schools has changed. These changes reflected not only the knowledge that was available at the time, but also what a particular civilization at a particular time thought was important for the next generation. That is to say, the curriculum reflected its values. For example in ancient China the imperial examinations for recruitment into the civil service focused on philosophical essays and poetry, with the idea that Government administrators should be scholars, aesthetes and cultivated gentlemen. In ancient Greece the curriculum included music, whose harmonies were seen to be related to mathematics. In the England of my youth, we were automatically taught Latin, the language of the Romans. Even though it is a long-dead language, exposure to the logic of its grammar and to its literature was considered to be an essential civilizing intellectual experience, and until well into the twentieth century every "educated" person including those holding high rank in the civil service would have been taught Latin and possibly also ancient Greek.

These subjects were in the 20th Century largely displaced by the scientific and technological subjects that have come to dominate our modem world.

The status of religious education has also drastically changed. In medieval Europe as in much of the Muslim world religious studies were heavily weighted in the Curriculum. Later, during the European Colonial rule religion was a core subject in Christian schools all over the world. In many parts of the Muslim world today there are still Madrassahs or Qur'anic Schools which focus on religious education exclusively.

We who are engaged in the establishment of Islamic Model Schools in the 21st Century should not therefore neglect intensive thought and productive debate on what we should be teaching our children that will equip them to think and live as Muslims fully engaged with our contemporary world.

The question is how to do this? For many people, an Islamic Model School is a school exclusively for Muslims with an all-Muslim staff, where the Qur'an, Islamic Studies and Arabic are all taught alongside the National Curriculum. The School uniform and the school assembly conform with Islamic norms. We then call it an "Islamic" school and hope that we are turning out authentic Muslims.

There is no doubt that the widespread movement for Islamic Schools and Islamiyyah Schools is a big step forward. If we do not control our children's education we lose control of our future as a Muslim community. Many of the Model Islamic Schools are doing very well and producing good results in academics and Islamic knowledge as well as good behaviour of their students.

This is certainly an improvement on what prevails nowadays in Government Schools. However this cannot be regarded as the summit of our aspirations, for several reasons.

Firstly, due to shortage of financial commitment and competent manpower resources among Muslims in Nigeria, the great majority of Islamic Model Schools are at Nursery/Primary level. We should not forget that it is at secondary level that most students start religious questioning and may or may not develop serious religious interest and commitment. There is a need for academic research on what happens to the products of the Islamic primary schools when they go on to secular secondary schools and universities. Does their Islamic primary school education influence their later attitudes and way of thinking? If so in what ways?

Secondly, is it sufficient just to teach so-called "secular subjects" and so-called "religious subjects" under one roof and call it "Islamic education" without a serious attempt to develop a clear relationship between the two - that is, an Islamic perspective on modem knowledge, and a modem perspective on our understanding of the divine message?

At the secondary level there is enormous scope for this process -particularly in boarding schools where students may be involved in co-curricular activities in the evenings and at weekends.

New Horizons College, Minna, was established by the Islamic Education Trust in 1994, and for the first 7 years it functioned as a dual system school - that is, modem subjects and Islamic subjects taught under the same roof.

What follows is a case study of how over the past two years we have been trying to integrate aspects of the curriculum in an effort to develop a holistic approach to knowledge.

I shall therefore take it as a kind of Case Study of how we are approaching the issue of Curriculum, which is the topic of this paper.

::: New Horizons College: A Case Study

Our starting point is to recognize that we in Nigeria, as a former colonized country, tend still to be very imitative. Changes in education in the Western world take place and within a few years we follow, without really analyzing the benefits and losses of such a change. "Western" means "advanced" and of course we all want to be "advanced".

Secondly, throughout the Muslim world, Islamic education itself has been, so to speak, self-imitative for centuries. A teacher is expected to teach what he was taught, using the same methods by which he was taught. Hence it is extremely difficult to get most Islamic Studies and Arabic teachers to look at any textbook other than the textbook from which they learned, or to consider any change in the method which might speed up the pupils' learning.

Therefore people running schools, and especially Islamic Schools, tend not to think beyond the boundaries of their own experience or look for solutions by examining the problems from broader perspectives.

As an example of this I have put as an appendix to this paper a copy of the 9-dot problem, with which some of you may be familiar. (I request you to wait until after this presentation before attempting it.)
The point is to show that we allow ourselves to be mentally confined by boundaries that do not really exist.

Perhaps we should therefore not focus so much on the curriculum as on what do we want to be the outcomes of our curriculum, and then find the ways to achieve those outcomes, which may be innovative and experimental. In this way we may build up our own curriculum for Model Islamic Schools.

New Horizons College was the great challenge for us and it was from the time we started admitting boarders, 2,5 years ago, that we began to take a fresh look at the concept of a Model Islamic School, and to go beyond just teaching two unrelated educational curricula under the same roof.

When you have boarders on your premises 24 hours a day for 36 weeks of the year it soon becomes apparent that the children of well-to-do Muslim parents today are often exposed to all kinds of influences, modem and traditional, some of them very harmful, and that many suffer from parental neglect and undesirable peer group pressure. Some parents transfer their children into Islamic boarding schools precisely because they have gone off the rails and are out of control - even to the extent of taking drugs.

Therefore unless we can change their way of thinking and make an impact on their perceptions, we shall not be able to achieve the outcomes we desire, and our students will be just like any other students in Nigeria except that they know some Arabic and perhaps can recite the Qur'an a little better than others.

This is a serious issue, which those establishing Islamic Schools have to address.

Therefore in our own case we set up an Islamic Orientation Board composed of key individuals within the school and the IET to consider the question: "What makes an Islamic School Islamic?" Is it just a name or does that name actually describe something that is going on in the school?

In the broadest sense the formal and informal curriculum includes everything that a student is expected to experience at school, both in and out of class.

Therefore we examined the entire school environment and experience, from early morning until night to identify what needed to be done to promote Islamic manners, morals and understanding, including personal relationships between staff and staff, between staff and students and between students among themselves.

We looked into the disciplinary system to lay more emphasis on counseling and recognition of good behaviour rather than on punishment.

We looked into the motivation and development of staff so as to encourage them to become role models for the students. We encouraged team games and inter house activities to develop team spirit. We encouraged many clubs an societies to develop the children's practical skills and talents. We used the mosque not only for prayers but for all forms of nasiha and enlightenment by the students as well as staff and invited outsiders.

Then we looked at the aspect of the formal curriculum. How feasible is it to "Islamise" the teaching of the National Curriculum subjects such as English, Maths, the Sciences, the Social Sciences, Technical and Vocational subjects? And what do we really mean by "Islamizing" knowledge? Knowledge is surely knowledge - if it is true knowledge it is automatically "Islamic".

Therefore, apart from the massive problems of "Islamizing" the syllabus and the textbooks and the teacher training and orientation, the question arises "Is all this necessary?"

It seems to me that we do not have any quarrel with most of the factual component of the National Curriculum. It is more a matter of "what do you deduce from this information?" "How does this relate to other things that I know or believe as a Muslim?"

In other words we want students to develop Islamic perspectives on knowledge, we want them to perceive "Allah's signs in the universe" in whatever they may be studying - whether it be Geography or Physics or Food and Nutrition.

Therefore while it would be ideal for all teachers to be able to stimulate "Conceptual Transformation of Knowledge" as applied to their subjects in the classroom, we cannot depend on that for a number of reasons relating to way the modem universities teach and chum out graduates who have memorized handouts but have not been taught how to think.

::: Islamic Perspectives:

We have therefore found it productive to introduce a separate subject called "Islamic Perspectives". This subject is taught by people who may or may not be regular full-time members of staff, but who have actually understood the approach. Such teachers must have broad knowledge of the arts and sciences, up-to-date knowledge of the modem world, and a sympathetic understanding of the students' existing ways of thinking (in other words it should generally not be the Islamic Studies teacher!). Islamic Perspectives is the meeting place of the Qur'an with so-called secular knowledge. The person teaching it must have thought deeply about this and integrated them in his own mind.

The task of the teacher is to expose the students to various books, video cassettes or concepts which stimulate their thinking and relate these to what we understand from the Qur'an. The lesson will therefore include a lot of discussion, because we are not just focusing on the factual information but also on its;
interpretation and understanding in relation to other knowledge and in the light of the divine revelation.

When you have helped the student to internalize these Islamic insights you are on the way to developing young people who think and feel and act like Muslims. This is because you .are teaching the method of Conceptual. Transformation of Knowledge (CTK) based on which the students can themselves apply it to any knowledge which they are taught, whether in school or later at university. It is a kind of inoculation against the secular approach. One might call it "Do it yourself CTK".

The materials to be used in this process may vary as we change them
whenever something better appears. At present we are using the following books and cassettes.
JSS 1: Islamic Manners and Social Conduct (Lemu, Orire and Rodrigo) IET Publications.
JSS 2: Wonders of Allah's Creation (Harun Yahya) Ta Ha Publishers, London.
JSS 3: Steps on the Right Path (Selected Hadith on the Moral Teachings of Islam) (edited by Lemu and Dolley - IET Publications). To this we plan shortly to add a new book of Selected Qur'anic passages in English translation entitled "Getting the Message".
SSS 1: For Men of Understanding (Harun Yahya) Ta Ha Publishers, London.
SSS 2/3: Islam the Natural Way (Abdulwahid Hamed) MELS, London
Video Cassettes: Any of the cassettes on aspects of Science by Harun Yahya. The Global Environment (BBC Video Series) Legacy (ITV Series on great civilizations of the past and their intellectual and moral legacies.) Empire of Faith (USA) on the Civilization of Islam The Trials of Life (David Attenborough, BBC) and other programmes by the same presenter on Animal and Plant behaviour.

::: Train-the-Trainers Course in Da’wah and Dialogue:

We also concluded that every student who graduates from our school should be able to convey the message of Islam to others (Muslims or non-Muslims) and to be skilled and confident in dialogue with non-Muslims in particular.

Therefore for 2 years (SSS1 and SSS2) the students have one period a week of training in this subject. They learn comparative religion, how to deal with misconceptions about Islam, how to handle areas of disagreement among Muslims, how to present Islam, public speaking and individual dialogue.

Since it is a Train-the-Trainers Course, students are required to learn and practice teaching others - which greatly helps them to remember the material and topics they cover.

::: Arabic and Qur'anic Arabic:

When we started the school we naturally taught Arabic language to all students in the expectation that they would all study it for 6 years and take it as a WAEC/SSCE subject.

Unfortunately, the university people who drew up the Arabic syllabus for 6-3-3-4 made it suitable only for students of specialist Arabic institutions, by including a large component of Arabic Literature, which cannot be covered in the time available in the regular secondary schools which can only allow 3 periods a week for Arabic.

A year ago we conducted a workshop on this problem with NATAIS (Nigerian Association of Teachers of Arabic and Islamic Studies) but it seems they are not ready to make a move to popularize the subject by cutting down the literature component.

This is disappointing as students do not want to register for a subject in which they have little chance of getting credits in SSCE. We have therefore had to drop it for science students in senior classes and make it compulsory for Arts students only up to SSS 2. However, students are taking a greater interest with the recent provision of an Arabic Language Laboratory and Arabic Club.

However in order to ensure that every student is helped in the reading and understanding of the Qur'an, we have the following subjects for the whole 6 years:

Qur'anic Arabic and understanding the meaning of the Qur'an

Qur'an: Reading, Recitation with Tajwid and Memorization (with regular competitions).


Since the latter is time-consuming it cannot all be done during the regular teaching periods. Therefore boarders do it in the mosque after Subh prayers and 3 ;times a week in the evenings, while parents of day students are asked to ensure their children cover the same syllabus with home tuition or local Islamiyyah schools.

::: Subject Weighting

If we add together the number of periods per week given to the Islamic related subjects (Islamic Studies, Islamic Perspectives, Arabic, Qur'anic Arabic, Da'wah and Dialogue and the Qur'an with Tajwid) it comes to about ten, out of 38 periods per week - that is just over one-third. To this, should be added the time spent on Qur'anic reading and recitation after Subh prayers and before Maghrib about 3 days a week.

Yet in spite of this time taken out of the so-called secular curriculum the students are getting among the best results in the country in their WAEC and NECO exams.

Social Interaction between boys and girls:
When we established the school we would have preferred it to be single sex, but we felt it would be unfair to offer our style of education to boys only or girls only, therefore we took both. However for both social and academic reasons we decided to divide our school block into 2 sections, for boys and girls, but with shared laboratories, computer center etc. Likewise we have separate hostels for boys and girls, and boys and girls do afternoon games on alternate days.

However, we have other activities where the boys and girls participate together, such as clubs and societies, debates, quizzes and so on. We take into account that in the adult world in Nigeria, including the universities, there is no gender segregation, therefore, it is important for both boys and girls to learn to interact in a sensible and responsible manner in an Islamic environment as training for later life.

::: Non-Muslim Teachers:

There is also the question of employing non-Muslim teachers in a Muslim school. Some people are totally opposed to this idea but this is not our view, based on 9 years of experience of employing teachers of various nationalities and religions on condition that they do not in any way undermine our objectives as an Islamic school. The employment of non-Muslim teachers was initially based on the need to find the best teachers available, who in some cases are non-Muslims.( However some of our Christian teachers have shown greater dedication and loyalty than many others, and set standards for young Muslim teachers to emulate. Secondly, we recognize that we live in a multi-religious society and a multi-religious world, where we live and work together with non-Muslims. There is therefore no point in isolating our students from non-Muslims and creating barriers instead of developing inter-religious co-operation and trust. This is based on our teachers' understanding that we are an Islamic school and wish all teachers to uphold and promote its Islamic moral ethos. We raise this issue in the teachers' job interviews and we have not had problems with it.

::: Conclusion:

This paper has covered most of the key areas of our experience in developing an Islamically-oriented secondary school.

Of course there are many other models for an Islamic school, and some proprietors may choose different areas of emphasis and formulate different policies. This is entirely healthy as it gives each school the chance to test its ideas and approaches, evaluate the outcomes, and change or fine-tune them in the light of experience.

Some people urge standardization of the curriculum in Islamic schools, but I think this is premature and should be entirely voluntary. There is nothing to stop private Islamic schools meeting to discuss curriculum and policies with a view to sharing ideas, exchanging materials and learning from one another. But we are developing a very new approach to education which draws its inspiration from the challenges of the Qur'an and relates them to modem knowledge and the realities of our situation today. We need more thinkers and educationists to be free to continue the search for the best practice and to test their ideas against realities.

This process is now being encouraged at international level by an organization called IBERR (International Board for Educational Research and Resources) headed by Br. Yusuf Islam with an Advisory Board drawn from the U.K., USA, South Africa, Australia, Canada, Nigeria, Malaysia, Kuwait and the-United Arab Emirates (UAE). It has done a lot of work to bring the ideas of Islamization of Knowledge formulated over the past 25 years into the practical realm of curricula, textbooks and guidelines for all the stakeholders in Islamic Schools: proprietors. Boards of Governors, Principals, Teachers and parents.

Meanwhile, NAMIS is playing a very important role in bringing together the hundreds of Islamic Model Schools all over Nigeria to exchange ideas and materials and to benefit from each others' experience as our own contribution to the worldwide movement for the development of an Islamically-based educational system.

- - -

Comprehensive Achievement Standards-Primary Level

Comprehensive Achievement Standards-Primary Level

1.         The under mentioned are the comprehensive achievement standards i.e           what students will know and be able  to do, to be achieved by all students of  + 10 years of age as a result of  going through 6 years long education program  from KG 1 to Grade 4 in the School:-

            (1)        To Achieve Academic Success…..

                        Our Students will:-

a.         Demonstrate sufficient competence in the knowledge and understanding of the subjects of study of their level, as well as sufficient proficiency in the use and application of that knowledge to practical and real life situations, as expected from children of this age.

b.         Exhibit imagination, develop and demonstrate habits of inquiry,   sense of curiousity, creativity and ability to think logically and critically.

c.         Acquire sufficient literacy, numeracy  and life-long learning skills through active/practical learning that will enable them to meet demands of every day life.

d.         Learn the languages of Urdu and English to the required level of proficiency for enabling them to:-

(1)        Listen and understand simple questions and different expressions of Islamic etiquettes and social behavior.

(2)        Read and understand short texts (up to medium sentences) about Islam, Pakistan and things of general knowledge with reasonable speed and comprehension.

(3)        Speak extempore sufficiently confidently and fluently about persons, objects, places, incidents, pictures, films etc for at least 3 minutes in about 10 short sentences.

(4)        Write legibly in good handwriting at least 10 short sentences extempore about persons, objects, places, incidents, pictures, films etc in about 5 minutes.

e.         Be able to recite Quran with proper Tajweed and learn Arabic to the extent that they:-

(1)        Know Arabic vocabulary with meanings of at least-500 nouns and verbs.

(2)        Can read and understand short Arabic texts of at least 10 simple sentences.

(3)        Can make simple sentences.

(4)        Can write Arabic through dictation.

(5)        Understand with meaning all that is recited in Salat.

            (2)        To Develop a Life-Long Love of learning,

                        Our Students will:-

a.         Evaluate and seek ways to learn more and more for improving their existing knowledge and skills.

b.         Develop interest in reading, listening to, observing, assimilating and evaluating as a continuous process.

c.         Develop confidence in their ability to achieve positive results.

d.         Develop the capability of effectively expressing themselves verbally and in writing including through visual arts, as accurately and to the point as expected from them at this level of their age.

e.         Acquire the understanding of natural resources and natural environment as blessings of Allah in service of human beings and developing the spirit of conserving/protecting these for our collective well-being.

f.          Learn to appreciate beauty, ethical behavior and cleanliness (Taharat) as these are the attributes of Allah, among many others, which make us feel happy and thankful to Him alone.

g.         Start to develop the capabilities of communicating to others confidently, boldly and effectively.

h.         Learn requisite knowledge and understanding to appreciate and practice the aesthetic aspects of life, an artistic performance and visual art.

i.          Develop the spirit of sacrifice for the right cause be it in material, verbal or physical form. As Muslims, children must be having the spirit of ultimate struggle/sacrifice for the good of our Deen and thus for seeking the pleasure of Allah under all circumstances even at the peril of one’s life.

j.          Know and further nourish the understanding that Muslims have a sacred duty to lead the humanity and to help/protect the poor people and weak nations against all forms of exploitation.

            (3)        To Become a Responsible Citizen of Pakistan,

                        Our Students will:-

a.       Learn to work in a team harmoniously and actively for achieving a common goal.

b.      Learn to understand and respect the differences in individual capabilities, capacities, origin, cultures and languages as the Blessings of Allah, and that merit of goodness depends upon the right type of belief, God-fearing attitude and good deeds only (Taqwa).

c.       Learn and adopt the basic norms of Meetings (Majlis), Travelling, Happiness and Sorrows, Entertaining Guests and dealing with Unknown Persons,Taharat (Wuzzoo), Handling and Reciting Quran, Adab-i-Mosque, etc.

d.      Learn to participate actively in virtuous deeds (Kar-e-Khair) and develop hatred towards the evil deeds, along with others at home, in the school and other members of society in general.

e.       Develop the habits of self-confidence, independence,                      self-identification (Khudi) and  self-reliance.

f.       Develop the necessary capabilities like basic literacy, scientific inquiry, numerology and language of medium of instruction so as to be ready to acquire formal education in the coming years.

g.      Understand the genesis of State of Pakistan, i.e. Ideology of Pakistan and learn to love and defend the land and people of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

h.      Be aware of historical and geographical facts of Pakistan in     particular, the Islamic world and the rest of the world in general.

i.        Learn to understand the role to be played in civil defence, in support of Pakistan Armed Forces or in any other natural or man-made disaster, as expected from children of +  10 years of age.

j.        Learn to understand the rule of law, protecting the national and community assets and conserving the natural environment for the well-being of the humanity.

k.      Learn and practice to respect parents, teachers and all other elders; learn to be kind to youngsters, and animals.

(4)               To Develop a Comprehensive Personality,

Our Students will:-

a.       Know and understand the basics of Islam and practicing these in real life-like Tauhid, Risalat, Akhirah, Six Kalimas, offering regular 5-times prayers, exchanging greetings / compliments in the Islamic way,etc. They must develop and nurture a sense of Islamic identity and pride in being a citizen of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

b.   Adopting character traits and virtues in the light of Uswai-Hasana of Prophet (PBUH)-like Honesty, Integrity, Truthfulness, Kindness, Tolerance, Respect for Diversity, Firmness, Punctuality, Courage, Trustworthiness, Justice, Hard work, Initiative Perseverance, Honoring the Commitment made, Honoring the Dignity of Labour, etc.

c.   Demonstrate acceptable social behavior and sense of collective responsibilities, like Brotherhood, Cooperation, Friendship, Consultation, Permission to enter someone’s house/office/premises, and keeping Promise, etc.

d.   Learn and practice to deal with matters of daily routine, individually as well as collectively with others_____ like capability of ringing up fire brigade, police, hospital/doctor or other service providing agencies for recording complaints or asking for help in emergencies; carrying out purchases of routine items from market; helping parents in their routine jobs at home; helping/taking care of younger brothers/sisters; knowing and practicing traffic discipline; helping the poor and needy; cleaning own class room, own living room, own bath room and the house; carrying out minor repairs of their shoes, clothes, books etc.

e.   Develop the habit of careful and purposeful observation and description.         

f.    Learn to interact with others confidently and alertly.

g.   Learn to respect justice and fairplay under all circumstances.

h.   Learn to be cheerful, confident, social, balanced and creative personality right from the beginning.

            (5)        To Achieve Healthy Physical Objectives,

                        Our Students will:-

a.       Understand and participate in sports and other physical activities as a form of healthy, competitive and productive collective behavior.

b.      Learn and practice the rules/discipline while working as a member of a team.

c.       Learn and practice the ways of living a clean, hygienic and healthy life in the light of Islamic teachings.

d.      Develop a healthy and useful hobby as life-long interest.

e.       Develop interest and sufficient expertise in running, jumping, horse-riding, swimming, shooting and hiking. Should learn to play at least two out-door and two in-door games.

Comprehensive Education Standards-Higher Secondary Level

1.         These are the comprehensive education standards to be achieved by all the students of + 18 years of age by the end of Grade 12 in the school / college:-

(1)        Should have developed very good skill of speaking, reading and writing in English, Urdu and Arabic languages. Should be real good orator in English and Urdu with equal competence for effective mass communication on any issue.

(2)        Should have good knowledge of Quran, Sunnah and Seerah of Prophet (PBUH); be able to deliver sermons on contemporary issues in the light of Quran and Sunnah; be able to deal with day to day issues in light of Islamic teaching.

(3)        Should know history, economy, social and cultural realities of Pakistan and Islamic world in sufficient details; should have a clear picture of importance of Pakistan and Islamic world to the well-being of the rest of the world; should be able to analyse the contemporary issues logically and critically in order to arrive at a balanced and practical line of action.

(4)        Should be capable of taking active part in civil defence, disaster control operation and military operation in support of Pakistan Armed Forces, like a well-groomed responsible citizen of the country.

(5)        Should have developed a keen and scientific way of carrying out research and analysis of confronting issues and problems.

(6)        Should have shaped his personality like a good practicing Muslim who believes and loves Islamic way of life (Ad-Deen) in totality.

(7)        Should feel proud of taking stand on Islamic issues, fight for the cause of Deen and have love for the well-being (Khair) of the entire humanity.

(8)        Should demonstrate an acceptable, live and visible example of living his life in accordance with Deen-e-Islam in all respects including social values, mutual relations, dealings with others and Islamic virtues.

(9)        Should have learnt and sufficiently mastered requisite knowledge and expertise of any acceptable and useful technical/semi-technical skill so as to make him a productive member of the society.

(10)      Should have acquired sufficient knowledge base and skill for pursuing his goal of higher studies or adopting a particular profession akin to his aptitude and demonstrated competence.

Comprehensive Achievement Standards-Secondary Level

1.         The following are the comprehensive Achievement standards to be achieved by all students of + 16 years of age and by the end of Grade 9 & 10:-

(1)        Should have attained all the comprehensive standards laid down for earlier classes / levels.

(2)        Should have developed fully the methods of scientific inquiry, critical thinking/analysis and research techniques for solving the issue in hand.

(3)        Should be able to listen to; speak; write; and read with good understanding any prose/poem in English and Urdu. Should have sufficient understanding of Arabic in listening and reading with understanding as related to Quran and Aahadees. Should be able to read Arabic newspapers with sufficient understanding.

(4)        Should have sufficient knowledge of Quran, Sunnah and Fiqqah so as to organize his life accordingly, and be able to communicate to others effectively.

(5)        Besides having satisfactory knowledge of Pakistan Movement, Pakistan Ideology and geography of Pakistan, should also have general knowledge of Islamic world as far as its history, geography, economy and culture is concerned.

(6)        Science students should have appropriate knowledge of evolution of human civilization and rise/fall of nations in the light of Islamic teachings.

(7)        Arts students should have sufficient knowledge of practical science as applicable in our environment.

(8)        Should be fully conversant with rules and practices of physical fitness, hygiene and sanitation, civil defence and expertise of initial military training.

(9)        Should have sufficient knowledge base and skills for adopting a particular profession in life and going for higher studies at university level.

(10)      Should have perfected at least one technical skill for use in practical life, if and where required.

Comprehensive Education Standards-Lower Secondary Level

1.         The following are the comprehensive education standards to be achieved by all students of up to + 14 years of age and by the end of 4 years of their studies from      Grade 5 to 8:-

(1)        Should have attained all the Comprehensive Education Standards as laid down for students of Primary Level.

(2)        Should have acquired sufficient capability to speak fluently, write correctly and sensibly, read/understand prose/poem accurately in the languages like Urdu and English.

(3)        Should have working knowledge of Arabic and mother tongue.

(4)        Conforming to his age should have learnt Quran, Sunnah and Seerah of Prophet (PBUH) to appropriate proficiency and apply their provisions/directions in own life willingly and persistently.

(5)        Should have sufficiently acquired the knowledge of history, geography, culture and Independence Movement of Pakistan in the background of Islamic heritage.

(6)        Should be able to operate computer for simple functions in different programmes, understand basic concepts of science and technology and be able to apply the acquired knowledge to practical situations in own environment.

(7)        Should know the modern concepts and approach of experimentation, observation and scientific way of reasoning and critical thinking / analysis.

(8)        Should know the different turning points in Islamic History, major events thereto and their impact on human civilization.

(9)        Should know the principals of physical fitness and living a healthy life and follow these in own life.

(10)      Should know the basic concept of civil defence, handling of disasters, going through the necessary training for war or war-like situations for supporting the national armed forces.

(11)      Should have learnt at least one local technical skill and be able to use that skill practically in life, if necessary.

(12)      Should be trained in different aspects of collective behavior under different circumstances in the light of teachings of our Deen.

(13)      Should correctly differentiate between good and evil (Khair wa Shar); strive for eliminating ‘Shar’ and spreading “Khair” in life.

(14)      Should have built up the urge and love for learning more and more and continuously strive for achieving this objective. Self study and self improvement should be his second nature.

(15)      Should love Islamic Signs (Shaaer) and virtues (Aqdar) from the core of his heart. 

Estimated Cost of “Repairs and Re-activation of Water Supply Scheme Rehman Abad”, Tehsil Lachi, District Kohat

Estimated Cost of “Repairs and Re-activation of Water Supply  Scheme Rehman Abad”, Tehsil Lachi, District Kohat

I. Sub H No  :  Replacemeent of Rising Main

1.       Providing and Layig of 6” Dia GI Pipe

Qty: 600 rft OR 183 M @ Rs.2063.57 Per M  =          Rs. 377633.00

2.       Supply / Fixing of 6” Dia Sluice Valve: 3 No.

@ Rs. 5406.20 Per No.=                                               Rs. 16219.00

3.       Supply/Fixing of 2” Dia Air Valve: 10 No @

       Rs. 3034.60 Per No.=                                                   Rs 30340.00.

4.       Supply/Fixing of 6” Dia Non-Return Valve: 10 No:

      @ Rs. 5048.20=                                                             Rs. 50482.00

5.       Const. of Masonry Chamber i/c main Hole Cover:

       3 No @Rs. 6700.00 Per No=                                        Rs. 20100.00

        Total:                                                                            Rs. 494774.00

              Add factor 3 % (+)                                                      Rs. 14843.00

             G.Total :                                                                       Rs. 509617.00

                                                                                Say          Rs. 0.510  M

II. Sub H No. 2 : Replacement of Pipeline

1.     Providing and Laying GI Pipeline

a.     3000 rft or 914.34 M @ Rs. 1117.65 Per M=               Rs. 1021923.00

b.     3” Dia GI  4200 rft or 1280 M @ Rs. 765.77 Per M=   Rs. 980185.00

c.      2” Dia GI  5100 rft or 1554 M @ Rs. 478.88 Per M =  Rs. 744180.00

d.     1.5” Dia GI 5600 rft or 1707 M @ Rs. 387.81 Per M = Rs. 661962.00

2.     Providing and Laying HDPE Pipe of the following Sizes:

a.  50 mm Dia = 5200 rft or 1585 M @ Rs. 247.98

     Per M=                                                                    Rs.393049.00

b.     40 mm Dia = 7600 rft Or 2316 M @ Rs. 180.97

      Per M =                                                                         Rs. 419126.00

3.     Supply/ Fixing of Following Sizes of Sluice Valves

a.       4” Dia  2 No @ Rs. 3588.13 Per No=                              Rs. 7176.00

b.      3” Dia 3 No @ Rs. 2922.63 Per No=                              Rs 8768.00

4.     Const. of Masonry Chamber I/c Main Hole Cover

5 No @ Rs. 6700 Per No =                                                  Rs 33500.00

Total:                                                                                Rs. 4359869.00

Add factor 3 % (+)                                                              Rs. 130797.00

G.Total:                                                                            Rs. 4490665.00

                                                                           Say       Rs. 4.491 M.

III. SH No 3:  Repair of Chamber/Reservoir

1.     Provision made for Repair of Pumping Chamber/Reservoir

4 No @ Rs. 50,000.00 per No=                                    Rs. 200,000.00

                                                                  Say                 Rs. 0.20 M

IV. SH No. 4: Replacement of Pumping Machinery

a.     Supply/ Installation of 80 HP Pumping Machinery capable

     to give the required discharge= 1 set @

     Rs. 1000000.00 Per Set=                                           Rs. 10,00,000.00.  

b.   Voltage Rregulator for 80 HP P/Machinery 2 No.

     @Rs.120000.00 Per No. =                                          Rs. 240000.00

________________________________________________________

     Total:                                                  Rs. 1440000.00

                                                      Or:      Rs. 1.44 M

________________________________________________________

G. Total( SH No 1+ 2+ 3+4) =      Rs. 6.641 M.

  Add 5 % Unforeseen Expenses  =      Rs 0.359 M

 G.G. Total :                         Rs.07.00 Million

CONCEPT NOTE ABOUT ORGANIZATION

CONCEPT NOTE

ABOUT ORGANIZATION

1.         Name of Executing Agency              :           Janak Development Association

2.         Registration No                                 :           DSW/NWFP/1692

3.         Date of Registration                          :           23 August 2000

4.         Project Area                                      :           Rural Area of Shakardara –Janak-

                                                                                  Dhand Saghri, Tehsil Lachi, District

                                                                                  Kohat – NWFP, Pakistan.

5.         Head Office                                      :          Village : Rakhman Abad (Dhand

                                                                                 Saghri), Distt : Kohat                                                                              

6.         Contact Person                                             :           Sadiq ur Rehman (President)

                                                                                                0332-9779390, 0922-213109

7.         Email Address                                              :           vojdacbo@yahoo.com

DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION OF THE PROJECT AREA

 General

1.         The target area is located in Union Council Rural I and II  of Shakardara-Dhand Saghri of District Kohat, NWFP. The area is extremely backward and is devoid of the basic needs of life i.e. clean drinking water, roads, hospitals, schools of quality education and electricity etc. The whole area of the two union councils consists of over 100 villages and more than 8000 households. More than 80% of the area is hilly, rocky and barren land. There are three main sources of income in the area:-

• Farming on limited lands.
• Livestock farming on wild waste lands.
• Government Service- mostly low paid petty jobs.

Farming

2. Farming in the area is carried out with very primary tools like bullocks because of the lack of awareness and low productivity. Operational costs of modern technology like tractors and its implements cannot be afforded by the locals. Generally each house hold (HH) has 3 to 4 acres of arid agricultural land on the average. Wheat is the major crop grown in the area, that too if it rains in time. The entire area is rain- fed and annual rainfall ranges from 10 to 13 inches with high uncertainty. The area has gone through a complete drought for the last five years. Consequently, the situation is nearly matching to a famine. Because of all these factors, 90 % of local people below the poverty line have increased manifold further.

Livestock

3. Livestock is the second biggest source of income in the area. But production of milk and bi-products is low as the range land of the area is lacking grass and water due to the aforementioned reasons. The number of cattle is also decreasing as the people seem to have no attraction in livestock rearing hence adding to the poverty.

Government Service

4. Most of Government Servants belong to the Armed Forces. But because of the saturation, this ray of hope is fading away now. Some of the labour cadre is working in District Faisalabad, which is 400 KMs away from the area. So joining Army or finding petty labour is also becoming difficult and unavailable for the dwellers of the project area. It has become even harder to secure a reasonably good job due to very low education level—rather illiteracy.

Education

4.         The education level in the area is very low. Only about  10% of the total male population has received basic primary education while less than 2 % have attained the graduate level degree. The reason behind this is a lack of good quality education institutions and perpetual poverty. The situation is worst looking on the women side, as 98 % of them are totally illiterate. Due to low income, people cannot afford to send their children outside the area. They are craving for good and quality education, specially the basic primary education for both males and females, in order to secure their future and to protect their wards against social evils including the extremists.

Health

5.         There is not a single good hospital in the whole area. Patients are brought to Shakardara Civil Hospital in the town for treatment with a high degree of risk and labor covering 35 KMs, but even hospital is ill-equipped and ill-staffed to provide the required minimum relief. In case of emergency this distance is covered in almost three hours as the journey is covered on animals over rocky terrains. Per force the patients are taken to District  Civil Hospital Kohat and to big hospitals in Peshawar which are about 100 to 160 KM away from the farthest village.

Women’s Responsibility

6. As they are illiterate, therefore, their duties are confined to fetch drinking water, to graze cattle in the rangeland and to bring fodder for cattle from hills. 100% women and girls are involved in the farming and livestock rearing.  

PROPOSED PROJECTS

7.  PROJECT TITLE     :           Rural Poverty Reduction Project (RPRP)

8. PROJECT INITIATIVE :        

1. Rain water conservation by construction of rainy water-dams on the basis of participatory approach and social mobilization.
2. To construct four model schools, both for males and females, from pre-primary to Higher  Secondary level.

JUSTIFICATION AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECTS

9.         The project area is entirely rain-fed with annual rainfall of 10-13 inches. There is no clean drinking water. The ponds and wells are the main sources of drinking water. Agricultural production is consequently very low. Present agri-products cannot meet the domestic needs of the people. Rainwater conservation is one of the two solutions for irrigation and livestock, the other is uplift irrigation schemes from River Sindh ( flowing for about 30 Km while touching the target area). In Phase1, the rain-fed dams are proposed in the project area for soil & water conservation to reduce the poverty. To construct 5 major dams, 12 medium size dams and 12 small size dams (all rain water-fed), and develop at least 7 pastures/range lands in the project area for enabling the people to enhance their sources of income_ thus alleviating the poverty of at least 100000  people.

10.  To provide water for animals in the rangeland and fodder in the fields by water conservation and irrigation respectively.

11.  To provide clean drinking water, sanitation and promote health education in the project area.

12.  Recharging ground water resources, encouraging the tree plantation, enhancing the

agri-livestock production and to protect environment as far as possible.

13. To raise two model schools from Pre-primary to High Secondary Level at two different locations, firstly for imparting quality education to children ( at least 1000 children including 60 % females per school), secondly to enhance the adult literacy of the people including 60 % women, and thirdly to train all the teachers of the existing government schools in the area.

14. To organize the community through the implementation of the proposed projects by introducing economic activities for better living standards.

15. To construct one 20-bedded good quality hospital in the area of Dhand Saghri.

16. By implementing the above projects, seven of the Millennium Development Goals are likely to be achieved in the project area by 2015.

PROJECT DURATION       :           30 Months.

PROJECT BUDGET            :           Total Cost                            :  585937.5 Euro

                                                          EC Contribution                  :  439453.1 Euro (75%)

                                                          Community Contribution    :  146484.4 Euro (25%)

EXPERIENCE

Financial assistance received to date :

Project                                 Amount                 Purpose                 Date               Donors

Hand Pumps                         Rs. 425,000/-       Drinking water        Apr 1997        UNDP

Micro Credit                         Rs. 1,200,000/-  Poverty Reduction     1997               UNDP

Sanitation                             Rs.  562,363/-      Pit Latrine                  1999               UNDP

Breeding Centers                  Rs. 50,000/-          Good Breeds of        2001               UNDP

                                                                          Live Stock

Water Reservoir (mini-dam)

with Drinking Water Rs      1,770,066/-               Drinking water     Feb 2002       TVO/EC

Supply Scheme

Earth-filled Ponds                    1,500,000/-           Live Stock            2006       DFID/LPRP