Madrasah in Singapore (Keynote)

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• in GP Lesson
• on August 29, 2014
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1. The needs of a modern knowledge based economy and emphasis of economic development drive Singapore’s educational policies.
2. This appears to create a tension between modernity (in education) and education in Islamic religious schools known as Madrasahs (seen as preserving tradition).
3. Traditionally, it has been the aim of Madrasahs to train religious leaders of the Muslim community but in contemporary Singapore, this refers to a religious school for children and adolescents.
4. The religious component of Madrasah curricula seeks to teach its students Islamic principles.
5. Debate has been ongoing on how to reform education in Madrasah with the need for additional funding , development of a new curriculum and improved pedagogy.
6. Historically, as each Madrasah was an independent institution, it was difficult to reform so the solution was placing all Madrasahs under the purview of the Islamic Council of Singapore (MUIS).
7. Pressures to reform the Madrasah began to take form in the late 1990s where curriculum reform focused on overhauling existing teaching material and including secular subjects.
8. Generally, there was some resistance to reforming the curricular as these ‘secular’ subjects, being unrelated to Islamic students were difficult for Madrasah students to appreciate the necessity.