Students enrolling in state-funded Islam courses outweigh Catholics in several regions of Europe. Turkey's teacher training centers and "written" textbooks.
 |
| Islam in European schools |
At European public schools that provide this sort of study, a rising number of pupils are enrolled in the Islamic religion class. From Germany to Belgium, via Austria, around 220,000 primary and secondary pupils study the Quran and Islamic principles instead of Catholic religion classes, whose enrollment is steadily declining. A phenomenon clearly linked to Europe's growing Muslim population, and around which studies and initiatives abound, such as that of the textbook publisher Van In, which in Flanders has created an ad hoc line of manuals for teaching Islam, with a more modern cut compared to the texts in circulation, often translated by Turkish publishing houses.
The Muslim population in the European Union has long surpassed 20 million. According to a Pew Research Center report, the number is likely to quadruple by 2050. Students of the Islamic religion predominate in numerous schools across the continent, demonstrating the demographic possibilities for expansion of this part of the population. Despite this, only a few EU nations (including Germany, Austria, and Belgium) have implemented a particular religion course on Islam in public schools. Elsewhere, the approach is essentially divided into two strands: the secular, as in France, where religious teaching (including Catholicism) is only foreseen in private schools, and the "religion for all," which does not foresee any religious teaching specifically in public schools, but rather a general course on religions. The latter is the course taken by the Netherlands, for example.
Islam in Dutch schools
Private schools in this area are mostly Catholic and Protestant religious institutions. Lessons on ideological movements are required in public schools (particularly primary schools), even though it is not specifically specified that all faiths must be taught. For this reason, Dutch Muslims have organized themselves by taking advantage of the opportunity of founding state-funded (and supervised) Islamic schools: in 2019, there were 55 elementary schools of this sort and just three secondary schools. State control has allowed the government to respond to disputes sparked mostly by right-wing groups, which claim that these schools support radical Islam and foreign influences in the country. Thus yet, the claims have not been proven.
On the other hand, due to the high enrollment expenses in private schools, over half of Muslim pupils, particularly those of Turkish and Moroccan ancestry, attend organized and privately paid Koran studies, which are usually held in local mosques. In 2018, for example, the announcement of a Turkish program that funded multiple weekend courses (not only in Holland) sparked fierce debate, with two hours of Turkish language classes and three hours of history, religion, art, and social studies.
Islam in Belgian schools
To address these concerns, Belgium has taken a different approach: it has implemented a religion course in public schools, which allows students to choose between Catholic, Islamic, Protestant, Orthodox, and Jewish religions. There is also a "moral" option, which is a more comprehensive religion and philosophy course. At French-speaking primary schools (Wallonia and Brussels) in 2021, 33.5% of pupils took the Catholic religion course, compared to 39.3% in 2016. In contrast, 22.5% attended Islamic classes, up from 19.6% in 2016. At secondary schools, the "overtaking" occurred: in 2021, 15.6% chose the Catholic choice, while 23.7 chose the Islamic option.
According to the most recent figures, around 70,000 students have decided to study Islamic religion throughout the country. A figure that is only going to rise. The influx of students has forced Belgian officials to examine the quality of instruction as well. Teachers in French-speaking schools, for example, must be university graduates with a pedagogical certification and a teaching certificate in the Islamic faith. The Executive of the Muslims of Belgium makes the decision. Once employed, instructors must adhere to instructions on how to introduce students to the Koran and Muslim principles, as well as how to make faith coexist with the community in which they live, in the spirit of interreligious dialogue and understanding.
Islam in European textbooks
According to the most current statistics, around 70,000 students have chosen to study Islamic religion across the country. A figure that will only climb. The flood of students has compelled Belgian officials to scrutinize educational quality as well. Teachers in French-speaking schools, for example, must be university graduates with pedagogical certification and an Islamic religion teaching certificate. The decision is made by the Executive of the Muslims of Belgium. Once hired, teachers must follow guidelines on how to educate pupils to the Quran and Muslim values, as well as how to interact with their community in the spirit of interreligious dialogue and understanding.
To strengthen the bond between faith and the wider community, a new method of teaching Islam, the Sira, will be introduced in Flanders beginning next year. The Sira is a word that refers to the life path of the Prophet Mohammed, but it also refers to the path of the students themselves, and the various stages of their growth. The new textbook, edited by the Van In publishing firm, has already been distributed to around 450 instructors. The many issues discussed constantly invoke Koranic teachings, but they are also complemented by a wide range of historical sources. They are also set in a contemporary environment that invites pupils to think about global warming, bullying, and fake news.
The need to have a "made in Belgium" text book writes Knack. Islam courses in public schools have found wide acceptance in Flanders, despite the fact that far-right parties with anti-Muslim tendencies have broad consensus in the region. According to the result of a survey by the Flemish Parliament, Islamic education is proving to be fundamental in erecting a dam against radicalization and fostering social integration.
Islam in German schools
Even in Germany, numerous experts endorse the significance of permitting religious education in public schools for the Muslim population. Yet, not the entire country has followed this path. Under the German legal system, state-recognized religious communities have specific privileges, including the ability to teach religion in public schools with state funding. However, unlike the Church, Muslim organizations are not yet recognized as an official religious community in most regions (land). Several countries have addressed this difficulty by establishing advisory committees comprised of Islamic world representatives: school administration chooses instructors and designs teaching modules in partnership with these bodies. This is the model followed, for example, in North Rhine-Westphalia, where Islamic religion courses made their debut way back in 1999 and today involve almost 20,000 students (out of a total of 54,000 in all of Germany).
Yet, this approach is not universally accepted. In Bavaria, for example, it was decided to bypass advisory committees and, as a result, local religious leaders; the religion course is known as "Islamic studies" here. The associations have no influence over the curriculum; only the state is in charge of educating and appointing instructors. The strategy appeals to Muslims like Abdel Hakim Ourghi, who are striving for a more liberal and secularized version of Islam. Some Islamic scholars, who are not involved in extremist stances, lament that the confessional part of teaching is being debased in this way. Regardless of the methodology, the major issue in Germany is a lack of Islamic teachers.
The controversies surrounding their training complicate the recruitment of these teachers: for example, last year, Susanne Schroeter, the head of the Global Research Center on Islam in Frankfurt, caused a stir by condemning teacher training in Stuttgart, Baden-Wurttemberg, which would be influenced by radical Islamists on the advisory council. Comments to which various city officials reacted by rejecting the charges. The education ministry also intervened, expressing its faith in the council and reaffirmed its desire "to increase Islamic religious instruction in public schools".
Source: TODAY