FAQs

How can we afford to pay tuition and support Islamic schools?

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.

If you isolate children from the larger Indian society would they not be growing in a shell and become unable to interact with the Indian public in their practical lives?

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.

Is this IB curriculum recognised by Indian universities?

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.

Is this legal for Muslims, in a secular country like India, to have their own exclusive schools?

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.

What is the rationale of a full-time Islamic school?

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.

Wouldn't our children suffer educational loss by attending Islamic school?

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.

Will I need to confirm that I accept a place if it is offered?

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.