Study Mode

SCHOOL: Lautoka Muslim College
NAME: Mehwish Nafizat Dean
FORM: 5A
YEAR: 2011

HISTORY
OF
LAUTOKA
MUSLIM
COLLEGE

DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY

I Mehwish Nafizat Dean of form 5A hereby sincerely and solemnly declare that this project titled History of Lautoka Muslim College is my own piece of work and that any uplifted information and borrowed material is acknowledged and referenced.

SIGNATURE:

DATE:

AIM

The aim of this project is to; * Find out the history of Lautoka Muslim College * Some of the challenges and achievements the college has encountered over the last five decades.

METHODOLOGY
In order to compile this project I must first carry out my research at the college library. There I should be able to gather as much data as possible through the past year school magazines.
Then I should interview the college principal and some of the ex-students of Lautoka Muslim College.
Finally I would forward all the data collected to my English teacher for a review, after which i would begin writing my research project. I should be able to complete my project by week 3 of term 3.

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION | | FOUNDER MEMBERS | | ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOOL | | BUDGET/DEVELOPMENT | | TEACHERS AND STUDENTS | | PRINCIPALS 1957-2011 | | MANAGERS 1957-2011 | | ACTIVITIES/ACHIEVEMENTS | | PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED | | FUTURE ASPECTS | | OBSERVATION RESULTS | | CONCLUSION | | REFERENCE | | APPENDIX | | |

INTRODUCTION
‘A BRIEF HISTORY’
We are entrapped in a vicious circle of wealth and avarice. How to break this circle is a crucial question, but the answer is simple, when children are trained to respect spiritual values without losing interest in material things of life, they will grow into balanced citizens of this very world.
Fiji Muslim League therefore took a onerous responsibility of establishing educational institutes throughout the country. Adjusting with modern system of education while educating children to keep pace with the fast advancing steed of time together holding their basic values of religion and culture was born Lautoka Muslim High School.
Importance of education has never been a controversial factor since the very day of the colleges birth. The main idea behind building this school of our forefathers was to accommodate the Muslims in the neighbouring communities; to provide them with better and quality education so that they are able to make a living of their own, later the school became a multi-cultural school providing education to all regardless of the race,colour,caste and religion.
The school today is over fifty years old and has shown tremendous development in both physical and academic means over the past five decades.These quantitative and qualitative educational and physical achievements are particularly impressive when one bear in mind the economic limitations, manpower shortages and other constrains faced by our pioneers, forefathers and educators.
In conclusion it can be stated that educational institutes do not exist in vacuums, education is, should and would be part of all and Lautoka Muslim College is proud to achieve a milestone in providing this to our society.

FOUNDER
MEMBERS
MAULVI TAJ MOHAMMED | MR.SULTAN MOHAMMED KHAN | MR.IMAM ALI | MR.BASHA SHARIF | MR.ISMAIL ALI | MR.DAVID SHAH ALI | MR.NASIB ALI | MR.ABDUL LATIF | MR.ABDUL SALAAM SARDAR | MR.ABDUL SATTAR | MR.HAFIZ RAZA | MR.MOHAMMED ALI SARDAR | MR.MOHAMMED UMAR | MR.SAHIB DEAN | MAULVI NIZAMUDIN | MR.SHAHBUD DEAN | MR.FAIZ MOHAMMED | HAJI KADAR BUKSH | MR.MOHAMMED | MR.MOHAMMED HASSAN KHAN | MR.ABDUL WAHAB |
Source: Ali, 2007.
ESTALISHMENT
OF
SCHOOL
Lautoka Muslim High School, as it was then known has come a long way from the days when it was set-up over fifty years ago in the Jinnah memorial building in the Lautoka Muslim Primary School compound. Today it is known as Lautoka Muslim College and located at better and bigger premises away from the cities distractions [Alim, 2007, 56].
The school was founded and opened provisionally on the 12th of February 1957, 9.a.m.Tuesday.Nearly 20 parents and prominent men were present on the opening day along with Mr.Hedley the education officer and Mr.S.M.Koya the solicitor of the league [Ibid, 2007, 56].
The high school was in fact an expansion of the primary school and was set up by the same group of people who were responsible for managing the primary school.
Space did not permit a detailed historical account but a brief sketch would therefore suffice. The whole development of the school has been steady one but the times have sudden expansion. From a very small beginning, the school has grown considerably both physically and educationally.

BUDGET AND DEVELOPMENT
The actual construction of the high school building was not an easy task as with only limited funds the Lautoka branch of Fiji Muslim League was relying heavily on voluntary labours [Alim, 2007, 56].
The first addition to the original concrete building in town was the two laboratories. Then in 1975 the Drasa-Vitogo complex, built at a cost of $244,000 was ready to be used. The complex consisted of 9 classrooms, 1 library, 2 science laboratories, staffroom, book room, canteen and other necessary facilities [Ibid, 2007, 57].
A bold step was taken when the foundation of Industrial Art was laid at a cost of $24000 in 1977[Ibid, 2007, 56], followed by the construction of the salaath hall along with 2 classrooms and a geography lab in 1980[Ibid, 2007, 57].In 1981, the school was given a grant of $8000 by the Ministry Of Education for the construction of the home economic building. The project estimate cost was $44,000 however it was completed on 2nd October 1981 at a cost of $30,000[Ibid, 2007, 56].
Advancing its education system the school took another step towards its physical and academic development when the form seven classrooms were constructed in 1997 along with the administration block which went under construction in 1999 and was completed in February 2000 at a cost of $100,000.due to this new addition, now the school had a spacious library on the top floor while the assistant-principal, vice-principal and principal’s office was situated on the ground floor [Ibid, 2007, 56-57].
Moreover the college invested $36,000 in installing computer net, 12 in computer lab,5 in the administration block,2 in the library and 1 in the staffroom.
Lastly a new alarm system and bell was installed for security purpose the very same month in 1999[Ibid, 2007, 57].

APPENDIX
Interview Questionnaires 1. What could be some possible ideas of our forefathers behind building this college? 2. What was your experience like when you were a student of this college? 3. What are some of the observations you have made as a principal of this college regarding its progress in academic means and also development wise? 4. What are some of the challenges or problems faced by the school management, staff members and students? 5. Who were the principals and managers of this college after 2007 and in which year and month did they take their position. 6. What is the difference between the schools timetable and subjects taken now from the previous one? 7. What is the total roll of teachers and students of the college for the year 2011? 8. What are some of the activities the college engages in and how does this prove to be a contributing factor towards the college’s success and fame?
TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

‘Since the schools are vested with the responsibility of preparing students for the life and future we need leaders who are visionary’

Lautoka Muslim High School started with the roll of 38 boys and 15 girls with only 2 teaching members; Mr.K.S.Reddy as the principal and Mr.Venkat Swamy as the assistant [Alim, 2007, 56].
Today the school accommodates a total roll of 689 students and 37 teachers.

PRINCIPAL’S SINCE 1957-2011
‘Education is the partnership of all stakeholders and all principals play a vital role between the parents, children and the community at large’

1957-1963 | MR.K.S.REDDY | 1964-1965 | DR.SAUKAT ALI | 1966-1967 | MR.SADA SIWAN | 1968 | MR.UJAGAR SINGH | 1969 | MR.SHAHIM AHMED | 1970 | MR.A.ZAIDI | 1971-Sept.1973 | MR.SHAMIM AHMED | Sept.1973-1988 | MR.USMAN ALI | 1989 | MR.SAIYAD HUSSEIN | 1990 | MR.DAINEL SAMI | 1991-1996 | MR.MOHAMMED SHAHADAT | 1997-1998 | MR.AMIR KHAN | 1999-2000 | MR.MOHAMMED RAFIQ KHAN | 2001-July.2005 | MR.AMIR KHAN | July.2005-2007 | MRS.SUMITRA RAJ | 2008-May2009 | MR.RAHMAT ALI | May2009-2011 | MR.KRISHNAN LAL |
Source: Alim, 2007, 5.
MANAGERS SINCE 1991-2011

1991-1993 | MR.NAUSHAD SHARIF | 1994-1995 | CR.AMMAN SAMAT | 1996-1998 | MR.ASHIQ HUSSEIN | 1999 | MR.MOHAMMED SHAHEEM | 2000-2003 | MR.HAFIZUL GANI | 2004-2006 | MR.HASMAT KHAN | 2007 | MR.MOHAMMED.D.EDWARD | 2008-2009 | MR.SAUKAT ALI | 2010-2011 | MR.ABDUL SHAMSHAD |
Source: Alim, 2007, 6-7.

ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Through extra circular activities LMC is renowned amongst other schools in the society.
Activities such as coco-cola games, Muslim tournaments, oratory contests, quiz and the recently introduced duke of Edinburgh award scheme has contributed a lot in LMC’s achievement towards success.
Previously in 1996 students used to organise fundraising programmes to collect funds in benefit of school trips and the functions organised in the school. They used to perform drama and dance programmes during the recess and lunch breaks where the spectators had to pay a certain amount to enter.
These activities and achievements would not have been possible without the sacrifice, dedication, determination and consent efforts of school management, teachers and students also through the support and cooperation of parents, donors and members of the public.

PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED
Some of the problems encountered by the college were that firstly; when the college went under construction, the builders had to cope with voluntary labours due to limited funds; they used horses as a medium of transport to reach their destination.
Secondly the school had a shortage of desks and chairs one day before the opening and the managers and members of the league had to struggle throughout the whole night to look for donors and better facilities.
Furthermore, one of the major problems still faced by LMC today is that it is not able to get the best student from the district. Although it is trying its maximum to produce better results from the type of students it has, still there’s a lot of challenges faced by the educators and the education system.

FUTURE ASPECTS
Some of the future aspects of the college is to have a multi-craft in the school for the engineering and woodwork students. The college also hopes to have more advanced technologies around such as the newly installed inter-com system.

9. Do you think the college is achieving the aim of the founders? 10. What are some of the future aspects of the college?

REFERENCE 1. Alim.M. (Ed) 2007, Dawn Golden Jubilee 1957-2007, Lautoka Muslim College, volume 31. 2.

OBSERVATION RESULTS

| | | | | | | | |

Previously | Now | Maths | Maths | English | English | Wood work | Wood work | Biology | Biology | Chemistry | Chemistry | Physics | Physics | Social science | Social science | Geography | Geography | Accounting | Accounting | Urdu | Urdu | Islamiyat | Islamiyat | Physical education | Physical education | Art and craft | Art and craft | | History | | Agriculture | | Economics | | Computer | | Health science | | Commercial studies | | Family life | Previously Now School starts : 8.30a.m | School starts : 8.30a.m | Recess : 10.40a.m | Recess : 10.40a.m | Lunch : 12.30p.m | Lunch : 12.30p.m | School ends : 3.30p.m | School ends : 3.30p.m | CONCLUSION
Lautoka Muslim College, ensconced in 1957 has come a long way since its modest beginning as an exemplary preacher of both traditional and modern values of life. Providing the best education in the district and producing extra-ordinary results has been one of the main reasons behind its establishment.
Achieving a milestone of fifty years was not as easy as it looks today as the school has faced many difficulties and made lots of compromises to strive towards its excellence and success.
Both past and current officials, teachers and students have always strived hard to make Lautoka Muslim College a premier learning institution which was the aims and objectives of the founder members where one can prosper in life with education. Today we salute the founders.