The success of any educational institute is dependent on the greatness of its education system, by means of which the institute continues to ascend the staircase of success and attain a special place in the academic world. There are three foundational things which are essential for an excellent education system: (1) Syllabus (2) Teachers (3) Students.
Syllabus
One feature of a successful educational institute is its syllabus. The better and more enhanced a syllabus, the more skills will be developed in students. Therefore, such a syllabus is selected for Jamia-tul-Madinah Girls that focuses on increase in knowledge and rectification of actions, which includes books on various sciences and disciplines, such as Quranic Exegesis, Principles of Quranic Exegesis, Hadith, Principles of Hadith, Islamic Jurisprudence, Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence, Islamic Theology, Arabic Syntax, Arabic Etymology, and Spoken Arabic. Through studying these books, reading, writing and speaking Arabic becomes fairly easy for the female students, and alongside gaining a plethora of sacred knowledge, they also acquire a large amount of necessary Islamic knowledge.
Keeping in mind the scarcity of seeking knowledge and lack of time for it in this age, students are taught selected portions of some books in the various sciences so that they are equipped with the tools to extract pearls from the ocean of Islamic sciences, allowing them to easily gain further knowledge. Also, besides the syllabus, students also participate in co-curricular activities, by means of which they can maintain their educational activities in other departments. Additionally, the students are encouraged to take language courses to be able to teach in other national languages, as well as writing books and booklets. In short, when designing the syllabus, the purpose of learning is kept in mind so that students can become exemplars of good behaviour.
Another step towards success
To further increase the abilities of the students in accordance with the needs of the modern era and to allow them to carry out worldly work in line with Shariah alongside Islamic activities, they will also be given worldly education from 6th class up till F.A., اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه.
Teachers
Just as students require a good educational syllabus, they also require excellent and expert teachers who are exemplars in knowledge and practice, so that they can become an example for the students in terms of their knowledge, action and character. This is because it is the job of the teacher to explain and instil in the mind of the students the contents of the syllabus. Therefore, to provide the best teachers for Jamia-tul-Madinah Girls, there is a Teaching Course Test board through which Islamic sisters who wish to teach in Jamia-tul-Madinah are examined after successfully passing an entry test. Once they have passed the various stages of examination, teachers are selected from among them, as required.
Also, for the purpose of teacher training, in terms of knowledge, action and the organisation, training sessions and meetings are organised every semester and at other appropriate times. For example, when classes were moved online during Lockdown in 2020, consultations were conducted with teachers around the country. Similarly, to remove the problems faced by teachers, Teaching Training Department has been set up so that if teachers encounter any difficulties during preparation of lessons, they can contact this department.
Students
One important link in a successful educational institute is the students studying within it. Even if an institute’s syllabus is top-notch and its teachers are experts in and dedicated to their respective fields, the success of that institute lies in the hands of the students who study there. If the students of that institute are given regular training in terms of their knowledge and practice, and they take this on board, as well as being committed to learning and possessing good character, that institute will be praised. Otherwise, like many institutes, it will simply exist in name.
Keeping this in mind, Dawat-e-Islami has formed a department which oversees the educational affairs of Jamia-tul-Madinah Girls, under which two further subdepartments operate, namely: (1) Completion of Syllabus Department (2) Inspection of Classes Department.
- Completion of Syllabus Department:This department provides important guidance to teachers in relation to teaching the entire syllabus to students and the division of classes, and it analyses monthly reports on what has been taught.
- Inspection of Classes Department: This department appoints scrutinisers who assess the level of study in Jamiat-tul-Madinah Girls each month. In the event of a good report, they further encourage students, and provide guidance if the report is unsatisfactory. Also, to further improve the learning of the students and to assess annual progress, under the Examination Department, exams are held at the end of the semester and annually.
Additionally, for the training of students in terms of their practice and to make them familiar with the purposes of gaining knowledge, the department has put in place daily and weekly training sessions so that the passion to seek knowledge and the ability to live a life of good character in accordance to the Sunnah can be developed within students. This is because the purposes of us seeking knowledge include, for example: (1) Attaining the pleasure of Allah Almighty (2) Making one’s life and character in line with Islamic principles (3) Developing the intellect (4) Preparing for the Hereafter.
May Allah Almighty grant further strength to our education system.
اٰمِیْنْ بِجَاہِ خاتَمِ النَّبِیّٖن صلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہ ِوَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ
