Girls admitted in male bastion to be felicitated at Jamia Millia
OT, May 31, 2012 12:59 IST
Okhla Times Campus Reporter/JMI
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The first batch of girl students who have taken admission to the so far all-boys historic Anglo Arabic Senior Secondary School, Ajmeri Gate, will be honoured by vice chancellor Najeeb Jung at a get together Yasser Arafat Hall, Jamia Millia Islamia, on June 1 at about 4 PM.
Jung is chairman of the school, and president of the Delhi Education Society (under the aegis of which the school runs).
The Anglo Arabic School has made history by admitting girls for the first time ever in its 300-year-old existence. Having started off as Madrasa Ghaziuddin somewhere around 1692, the school had remained an all-boys school thus far, producing the likes of Liaqat Ali Khan, the first prime minister of Pakistan; Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, founder of Aligarh; J N Dixit, former Foreign Secretary among many other luminaries.
Mehvish Rehmani, Darakshan Fatima and Gulafshan Fatima were the first applicants to secure admissions in the institution in classes XI (Commerce with Maths) and class VII respectively, according to university media coordinator.
Professor Azra Razzak at Jamia Millia Islamia, who is also the secretary, Delhi Education Society said: “We are expecting more girl students in the coming days. At present, we have three women teachers in the 80-member strong faculty. We are planning to recruit more.”
Atyab Siddiqui, Honorary manager, said that Prof APJ Abdul Kalam’s visit was especially encouraging when he asked the school to consider admitting girls too.
In a significant move the Managing Committee of the School in a meeting held on March 26, 2012 had decided to open its doors to girls. However, this decision of the Managing Committee was not considered favorably by the staff of the school, which is predominantly male, and it seemed at the time that this decision would not be implemented.
But, A PIL filed by an M.Phil student of JNU, Fatima Alvi, was considered favourably by the Delhi High Court recently and the School as also the Directorate of Education and the police were directed to ensure that this decision be implemented.
Following the High Court Order, the school management swung into action and has so far admitted over 15 girls in classes VI to XI. The number is expected to increase in the comings days, claimed the university release.
