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By Kulsum Mustafa

The Milli Gazette Online 

Lucknow: Excellent Board examination results are certainly a cause of great pride and celebration for any school. But it is definitely more so when the majority of students who have reached these great heights in the examinations belong to the so called not so educationally enlightened community - the Muslims and the major chunk of them hail from very poor families who cannot even afford two square meals a day leave alone quality education. 

The students of Unity College, a college established by Maulana Dr Kalbe Sadiq on the vast stretch of land lying vacant near the Asfi mosque in Hussainabad area of the city have put up a great show in this year ISC and ICSE examinations. Breaking the school's one decade old records the overall highest percentage has risen to the record highest of 95 per cent. this year. This feat was accomplished by Syed Azhar Hussain Jafri in ICSE. He is followed by Batool Nayaz Khan and Syed Sohail Haider who secured 92.4 each. The fact that the average percentage was 78.4 in 1997 when the first batch had appeared from this college is itself enough prove that there has been a definite upward swing in the academic performance of Unity students. 

At the ISC level, Amreen Fatima secured 93.5 per cent while Yasmeen and Aftab got 90 per cent each. The overall highest percentage in ICSE has also gone up by 10 per cent this year. Besides 19 students crossed the distinction barrier and almost got 90 per cent while 52 students secured first divisions.

Talking to the students at the award function held in the college auditorium last week Dr Sadiq, who is also the vice president of the Muslim Personal Law Board while congratulating the students advised them to take the qualities of knowledge and love for humanity with them. He said with these two qualities they will become empowered to tackle any situation in life and always come out a success. 

Dr Sadiq said that while the achievements of these students deserve an applause one must not forget the contribution of those teachers who toiled day and night to polish the hidden talent in these children. He said that if one really wanted to see how raw and ignorant of even the basic laws of hygiene and upkeep these children are one must see them when they are first admitted in the nursery. 

"It is difficult to believe that these same children after 10 -12 years of constant polishing come up on top and secure for their school a place of pride in the educational arena," he said. The function was organised by the Tauheedul Muslimeen Trust. «