New Delhi: A shocking dropout rate of 97% among Muslim children in Delhi in the age group of 7-19 years was reported. This rate has been given by Delhi Minorities Commission headed by Safdar Husain Khan according to whose findings the dropout rate is the highest among Muslim girls at the primary and middle school levels, though the enrolment in Delhi madrasas in rather high. The Commission’s data shows that almost 25% of Muslim children between 6-14 years of age either never attended schools or dropped out because of family constraints. Chairman Safdar Khan said that social and financial constraints were forcing Muslim girl children to sit at home. He said that on an average a Muslim child, specially a girl, goes to school only for about 3.5 years whereas they miss out on the main years of schooling i.e. between seven and 16 years.

Leaving aside education, Chairman Safdar Khan now seems to be paying more attention to improve their financial and economic condition by opening more industrial training institutes (ITIs) in Muslim populated areas. He said one ITI for Muslim girls is already coming up in Nand Nagri, another will shortly be coming up in Jaffarabad and there are plans for a third one in Okhla area. He said that these institutes will provide one to three months training. He said that for girls, courses in beauty, skin and hair care, embroidery, stitching, information technology, personality development, data operation, fashion designing etc. will be started and for boys courses in electrical equipment, mobile and automobile repairing, architecture and hospitality (hotel, restaurant etc.) among others are planned to generate employment.