Ashok Dixit
Most say acquiring education not only gives us the power of knowledge but also helps us to develop a perspective on how to look at life and enjoy the experience of it.
Masrat Farooq (Bhat), a Srinagar-based homemaker-cum-entrepreneur is an inspirational example of this, having achieved and received the accolade of First Female Entrepreneur in the field of education in Jammu and Kashmir this year.
A resident of Srinagar, Masrat has a Master’s degree in clinical psychology and has also been awarded a certificate by the National Institute for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (NIMSME) and the ASEAN Centre for Economic & Entrepreneurship Development and Education.
She falls into the category of inspirational stories for the simple fact that she used her expertise in clinical psychology to start smart classes for kids deprived of going to school during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I started smart classes as I saw a number of children suffering enormously because they were being deprived of education. It made me think that I must do something to correct this,” Masrat said.
Pursuing studies has been a passion for Masrat and along the way she has also acquired a love for teaching.
“I used to work before the onset of Covid, but when I found children being forced to stay at home for long periods of time during the period of the pandemic and also experiencing problems of concentration during online classes and losing interest, I just decided to take steps to bring back their enthusiasm,” Masrat reveals.
“There and then, I decided to create a team of teachers. I hired tutors and got ads published in newspapers here and on social media. I started my smart classes with two teachers and now our team of educators is providing schooling to about 300 children,” she added.
The state of education in Kashmir is dismal. A recent survey by the National Statistics Office (NSO) reveals that only 8.4 percent of males and 2.8 percent of females graduate from colleges in this region.
The last two to three years have been particularly difficult for students and youth of Kashmir. There are several factors, but notable among them was the fact of repeated shutdowns and imposition of curfews due to violence; a breakdown and withdrawal of communication due to the central government’s move to amend Article 370 of the Constitution, abrogation of some sections of it that gave J & K special status for nearly seven decades, growing unemployment, mental distress, poor online connectivity and lower standards of learning.
Masrat acknowledges these factors to be very real. She says: “The situation in Kashmir is so grim and sad in the sense that highly qualified and educated youth are unemployed. I have a lot of Ph.D. scholars and people with high degrees, but in spite of these high qualifications, it is unfortunate to see such professionals doing this kind of work for a living.”
“They should get much better opportunities, better jobs. This is not to say that they are not earning well; they are,” she added.
At the age of 27, Masrat runs two centres today with 80 teachers. No wonder her story is an inspiration for educated youth.
“People must not be dependent only on the government for jobs, nor is it only the government’s responsibility to provide career opportunities. As a businesswoman, I can say with certainty that there are so many opportunities and avenues available where we can make a mark and excel,” she said.
“The government has started many schemes, which the people, the youth, and the jobless can take advantage of for their own benefit. I have been quite successful in my venture. There is really not that much internet-related work and I really don’t have much of a link to it. My attention is focussed on off-line classes,” Masrat adds.
Masrat says she is confident about overcoming all the challenges before her and insists that lack of access to academics is something no one should experience because once denied, it can have a debilitating impact on the rest of one’s life.
“My team and I have fought tirelessly to make up for the academic loss and we have been applauded for our efforts. It is my aim and ambition to take our smart classes to greater heights. I want to make education creative, high in quality, and career-oriented,” she said.
Masrat is now working on starting two computer institutes on the outskirts of Srinagar.
Image: Representational