City mosque holds aptitude tests to aid students' career selection

Last week, dozens of young boys and girls, accompanied by their parents, crammed the Konkani Community Hall in Central Mumbai. Drowned in a festive look, the venue saw over 200 enthusiastic students, mostly those who cleared SSC and HSC exams this year, taking aptitude tests. Subsequently they were led to counters where professional career counselors guided them to choose career paths based on their performance in the test. So, what is unique about it?
The surprise element is the fact that a mosque hosted the aptitude tests. The iconic Juma Masjid of Bombay's Family First Guidance Centre has initiated this exercise which is bound to benefit young students who are confused about their career choice. "Normally mosques hold prayers five times a day and the Friday weekly sermons. We have gone a step ahead and introduced aptitude tests for students under our Family First Guidance Centre being run from the mosque's premises. The overwhelming response has encouraged us," said Shoeb Khatib, Chairman of the Juma Masjid of Bombay Trust which manages the massive mosque, the bada qabrastan at Marine Lines besides a few more establishments in the city.
Called the Holland SDS test, each student's personality was evaluated based on six key characteristics: realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising and conventional. "We call it RIASEC test and upon completion of the test, it generates a three-digit unique interest code which explains the candidate's personal interests. Subsequently, the careers deemed most suitable for the candidate is suggested," said Juveriya Syed, an M A in Psychology (life span counselling) who designed the camp.
Mohammed Zahid who has just cleared the SSC exam was among those who took the test. "I want to be a CA, but did not know if I have the required intelligence and ability. Having given this test, I know I can realise my dream," observed Zahid.
Interestingly, leading the initiative is a senior cleric Mufti Ashfaq Kazi whose basic job is to give fatwas or opinions on different issues according to Shariah laws. "This camp for aptitude tests has also helped break the notion that a cleric cannot think beyond madrassa education. Almost all the boys and girls participating in the event are from secular education stream and we are trying to empower them with informed career decisions," said Kazi.
The initiative understandably is getting wide appreciation. "This is a welcome move. It is good that our students are being helped to know which career they can excel in. Wrong career choice imposed on a student proves disastrous as we have seen many students quitting their course midway because they were not interested in it in the first place," said businessman and philanthropist Sabir Nirban. He added that more mosques should step in to conduct such tests.
What added value to the event were the motivational speeches by professional counselors and teachers like Rehan Ansari, Kazim Malik, Advocate Nadeem Siddiqui and Ehtesham Shaikh. "Most of us underestimate our potentials. Try to understand that you have limitless opportunities in the globalized world and your dream must be back by hard work to excel in your chosen field," enthused Ansari who teaches at some of the city's elite business schools. It was with this dream that Madanpura resident Azim Khan whose Television repairing shop shuttered during Covid and accompanied his son Owais to the event. "I am jobless but I want my son to crack NEET-UG exam and become a good doctor. I am here to back him and see how his aptitude test goes," said Khan. If his son succeeds, credit will also go to the Juma Masjid.