As Muslim communities have rapidly grown in the West there has been a proliferation of Islamic schools. These are schools where the state curriculum is taught to Muslim students in an “Islamic” environment accompanied by parallel Islamic education.
We have examined the issues involved in previous posts; here, here and here
The question that we ask our readers is:
Are Muslim pupils better served in Islamic schools or rather should they seek education in other independent or government schools?
16 comments ↓
assalaamalaikum… to be honest, I don’t believe that this should even be a question for those who want our future generations to maintain their identity. Yes, some kids will survive in the public schooling system due to strong parental pressures/Islamic environment at home. But, let’s not kid ourselves… how many Muslims are Muslims beyond just rituals?
I have seen with my own eyes, how an average Muslim family… that was completely ritualistic… and even lax on prayers…. the mom did not wear a hijab, etc. Then by Allah’s help, I was able to convince this friend to send his son to Islamic school. Wallahi, the affect this had on the family was probably more incredible than what the kid was learning. The mother started to wear hijab for instance, and in general, the family became much more aware of their Islam.
In my book, there are only 2 real choices for Muslim families… beyond which things can get very tricky for the future of Muslim children: (1) Islamic schooling or (2) home-schooling.
Yasir Qadhi touched one some of the subjects regarding Muslims in the West *here* and touched off many comments in similar vein… my point in raising this is that if we have decided, practicably speaking, that we are here to stay (in the West /Australia), then we have to take care of our family. Difficult choices have difficult consequences. wallahualam
My instinctive reaction is that Islamic schools are better but then you also have to consider how many are really Islamic schools and what level of non-religious education they offer. The ideal is obviously good Islamic education and good secular education but I don’t think most schools reach that so they specialize in one or the other.
Islamic schools have a double edged sword to then, on one hand they give the required education both for islamic studies and other stream studies, but at the end of the school the students are cocooned in their safe environment and go out to the society and don’t know how to deal with other people. and they are made into social outcasts. they might be great in the educational side and professional side but lack the social skills that is required to excel in society and work.
Respectfully, Omar, I think you’re being a touch over-dramatic with the idea that Muslim Schools turn kids into social outcasts. By the same token, wouldn’t uni-sex high schools also turn their students into socially awkward fools unable to deal with the opposite sex? Incidentally, Silma Ikram’s School I know does a lot of interfaith work so that their kids are given regular opportunities to dialogue with non-muslim students within school hours.
I know people who graduated from Muslim Schools who, as well as succeeding academically and professionally, have no problem at all going about their business in the wider community. Basically, I think only good things will come if a child is going to school in an environment where s/he feels happy and comfortable.
So I don’t worry about the welfare/education of students going to Muslim Schools. My personal issue is that I think they deprive other state and private schools of Muslim students. It’s important for Non-Muslims to know and be friends with Muslims and friendships made at school are an important factor in this I feel. If/when I have kids inshAllah, I wouldn’t consider sending them to a Muslim School unless it was right on our doorstep and had a shining academic reputation.
I think there is no doubt Islamic schools are the place to be for Muslim kids but that is only one part to a two-part equation with the other part being population-clustering and having the kids live around the schools. This will provide them with a foundation and identity. Besides, what is the alternative?
Null makes a great point about depriving non-muslim kids of muslim friends. BUT I think all muslim parents have an anxiety about the influence these non-muslim kids will have on their kids for example when it comes to boyfriends and girlfriends. So I don’t know
Mmm. Here’s a little anecdotal story for those who think cloistering their kids in a supposed “Islamic” school is going to keep them safe from all the ills that naturally face *other* kids:
Parents send girl to a Muslim School. Girl develops feelings for classmate. Classmate reciprocates. The pair secretly carries on this relationship for a couple of months until news finally reaches parents’. Parents: none too happy. But the kids are serious – or so they say. Well, at least he’s Muslim, right? A nikah and a mahr later, they’re married, so it’s all halal now. This relationship lasts for about a year until they graduate and girl realises that non-Muslim uni classmate fulfills her in ways that hubby she married in yr 11, never could. And now of course they’re 18 and divorced (Islamically).
I know some nutter is going to read this and think “home-schooling it is then!” – but seriously – no. If your kid is hell bent on getting some – whether that’s sex, or drugs, or xyz – by God they’re going to get it – regardless of where they go to school. They’re smarter than you. They’ll find ways around whichever restriction you impose.
All you can do is create from early on the kind of relationship where they trust and respect you and hopefully, take your good advice seriously. Rules imposed that don’t make sense will only lead to resentment against you – and rules imposed that don’t make sense justified in the name of religion will only lead to resentment against religion. Personally I’ve seen far too many instances where over-protective parents face a backlash and their kids abandon religion altogether as soon as they’re out of the family home. Not surprising, considering religion was only ever presented as a nonsensical list of (fun) things they were never allowed to do.
So if you’re sending your kid to a Muslim School when they don’t want to be there, hoping for a miraculous “transformation”– please don’t. They’ll hate it and probably find tragic ways to rebel. If you’re sending them there because you genuinely feel it is the happiest/safest/most conductive environment for *them* to be, then by all means, go ahead.
Mmm I agree, Hoping that an Islamic school will somehow vaccinate your children against the haram is not enough. The parental and familial environment must be there, coupled with opportunities for friendships with good rolemodels.
I have to confess I never considered an Islamic school until a word of mouth recommendation for a kindergarten at an Islamic school. My beautiful daughter clicked there immediately alhamdulillah, and I really like that she is learning some Arabic and Qur’an and even better, the kids come from a range of ethnic backgrounds and that if you’re name is “Muhammad” or “Aishah” it’s not seen as abnormal or scary.
I think before they can learn about how to deal with the “outside” world (including the prejudice and racism that exists out there) they do need a safe place. It’s no guarantee that an Islamic school will provide that, but if I had to choose btwn a good Islamic school and a good non-Muslim school, I have changed my mind and I would definitely now send her to the Islamic school in preference.
That’s my 2p and I have changed my mind, since my daughter started at an Islamic kindy.
It’s an interesting topic and I see both sides. So far I’m not really committed to either side of the debate because I’ve seen both sides growing up. I went to primary and most of high school in a local public school in a good area. The schools were very decent and I was one of very few Muslims there. There was maybe 3 hijabis in the whole high school.
At the end of year 9 my parents decided to send me to a private Islamic school. I understand their thinking behind it but I don’t think it did me much good except to probably make me go backwards at the time. At my non-Muslim school, being one of the few Muslims I felt an obligation to present a good image of Muslims etc and I was really careful in what I did. At the Islamic school, everyone around me was Muslim and everyone did ‘bad’ stuff so I became accustomed to not seeing things as being that ‘wrong’ (as long as the parents didn’t find out). For example going out with a Muslim was okay because they are Muslim but very wrong if it was done with a non-Muslim.
Another thing that I noticed was that those who had grown up in the Islamic school their whole life found it a much bigger adjustment when going to university and quite a few of them fell into some haram actions that they hadn’t had the ability to do at school but now could do it because they had a freedom they had not had before. They couldn’t handle the sudden freedom they had after 14 years of being carefully supervised.
For me personally, both academically and Islamically, I would have been better off at my non-Muslim school (wallahu ‘alam) but then again everything you go through shapes who you are so I can’t say for sure.
Quite a few parents fall into the trap of thinking their kids are being taught Islam at school and don’t bother at home. They’ve done their duty if they have sent their kids to an Islamic school and that is hardly true. The school I went to I was given basically no religious instruction except for a 1 period a week Quran and Islamic Studies class. This didn’t exist in Year 11 or Year 12. So the only real difference for me at the school was that there was lots and lots of Muslims around me.
On the other hand you do have to weigh up the cons of having your kid at a non-Muslim school and the potential influence of peers in a lot of things. I’ve seen that as well and I think it would take quite a strong kid to avoid the temptations that are there. Sure they also exist at a Muslim school but probably on a much smaller level than outside.
The only schools I would consider that are not Muslim are good private schools with good academic records. Most public schools nowadays should be avoided unless you are in a very good area where the standard is high.
And that’s just all based on my own personal experiences.
yes, uni-sex schools do produce social outcasts as well, however Islamic schools are the FULL answer as others have pointed out other issues that may face students. Islamic school systems is not full cure as others have mentioned, kids will also find drugs at islamic school, like any other school system.
most schools in western countries offer religion period in younger years, and they welcome any respected and accredited person from the believe of the students to come and speak to the kids. later on they have study classes or free time, which they have the option of doing the same.
I was in school with the state system, and we have experienced all the good and the bad of the system, I know other students who went to Islamic schools my age and younger and not only are their social outcasts, they have faced major problems with drugs. the majority that was not effected by drugs are embarrassments in the work place to all Muslims, and give a very bad and degrading image to the rest of Muslims.
On this topic, I have come full circle, from initially supporting Islamic schooling, to being disappointed with the cynicism of some school heads about the level of Islamic observance, to once again supporting it for much the same reasons as outlined here.
In the end the reason that this type of schooling works is because it aligns one with a cohort of like minded religiously motivated Muslim students. So it is ones compatriots rather than ones teachers or school policies that makes the experience worthwhile.
There will always be things that are less than ideal e.g.
1, an insufficiently Islamic curriculum
2, teachers who are insufficiently religious or who are anti-religious
But these are outweighed by the advantages, which are numerous.
The point that has been made that Islamic schooling prevents exposure to the ills of wider society, or delays ones exposure until university is a curious one. I do not see this is a minus point. I would prefer my children to be insulated as much as is possible form this.
I realise that relying on an Islamic school to protect ones children in a time of fitnah is naive, and that is why this type of schooling is only part of raising ones children in the west.
another matter, I think we should discuss if there is any merit in Muslims actually living in the west (I don’t think there is) and that we should leave as quickly as possible
Easier said than done. It’s fine for highly educated Muslims or Muslims whose skills are in high demand somewhere else but what about the vast majority of them who don’t have education, skills or vast sums of money? For a lot of them, Australia is the best they can hope for.
assalamu alaikum
I think the most important point is that schooling alone is not enough to create an Islamic environment for kids. At the time that I went to high school (and some of the problems I mentioned) most of the parents really didn’t do anything to create an Islamic awareness in the kids besides send them to an Islamic school. I think they felt they had done their duty if they sent their kids there.
Hopefully insha’Allah if we can create an Islamic lifestyle in our homes then the problems at an Islamic school or any other school won’t be as significant.
One of the other issues is a lot of the hypocrisy the students see in the teachers. This is mentioned quite a lot by students that I know from Islamic schools. Teachers preach one thing at school (because it is required by the school) but you know they don’t practise it themselves. So as soon as they are out the door the hijabs are off etc. At one school a teacher became Muslim then apostated. That didn’t particularly set a good example in an Islamic school. I remember having one teacher (non-Muslim) who used to subtly try to debate with us regarding religion. We were teenagers so our Islamic knowledge wasn’t particularly strong so it would have been easy for us to get off track with it.
One of the other areas to consider is academic and whether the Islamic schools are up to a good level academically.
Baybers: I get your point about not wanting to expose your children to the ills of society early and I’m not saying to deliberately expose them to haram for the sake of it but there has to be a balance with them being taught how to handle things in the real world because when they are suddenly out of their safe environment and dealing with the world it can be an issue. I had one girl at uni crying to me because she was having doubts in her faith because of talks with her non-Muslim classmates. This was her first time having to deal with the queries of non-Muslims because she had never been exposed to them really before.
wassalamu alaikum
Why not homeschool. A growing trend in the Muslim Community here in Australia.The Muslim Home Education Network (est.1990) provides information and general awareness to the Muslim Community of/on the legal option to Home Educate (home School) your children in NSW. We also provide information on how to start home schooling, the registration process, required resources and general support when needed. We are happy to come out and talk to any community about any aspect of Home schooling as required.
For Further Information:Phone: 02 9707 1810 or 9644 7484Mobile: 0412 003 665 visit us online:Web: http://www.missionislam.com/homed/index.htm
kind regards UmmAleah
As Waleed Aly shows, the best way forward for our Muslims is if they attend a GPS private Xian school.
Based on a sample of….one Muslim. Hardly statistically significant, John Greenfield.
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