Teachers at Islamic primary schools have to navigate the interplay between religious identity, political debate and societal expectations. Jamal Ahajjaj examined how they deal with this and translate it into concrete classroom practice: “Islamic schools are workshops of modern citizenship.”
“Islamic primary schools are under close scrutiny, especially when it comes to citizenship and integration. Politicians, the media and society often question whether these schools are passing on the ‘right’ democratic values. Public debate on this issue is largely driven by incidents at some schools, yet there is still little insight into what actually happens in day-to-day teaching practice. With my research, I want to help fill that gap.”
“I visited several schools and observed lessons, particularly classroom discussions on social issues, and spoke with teachers about how they understand citizenship and deal with sensitive topics. My main conclusion is that teachers at Islamic schools are teaching their pupils to prepare for active participation in a society that is becoming increasingly diverse, and that they do not necessarily see a contradiction between the requirements of citizenship education and Islamic beliefs.”
Difficult Topics
“In the classroom, pupils learn with each other and with their teacher to reflect on and speak about difficult and sensitive social issues, such as discrimination and Islamophobia, exclusion, homosexuality, or wearing a headscarf. These are topics that need to be open to discussion both in the classroom and beyond, without conversations becoming polarised or pupils feeling excluded.”
“Teachers support this by helping pupils learn how to agree or disagree with one another, how to listen to others, and how to remain respectful in conversation. Religious beliefs and citizenship can sometimes create tensions, but they can also go together well.”
You can find more information about the dissertation here.