Why Muslim parents want to send their children to Islamic schools

Muslim parents as a part of the Western societies have many concerns regarding their children's education. These concerns are: identity and belonging, discrimination, values and attitudes, and learning about Islam. Some Muslim parents look for Islamic schools for their children. Although the majority of Muslims attend state schools, some Muslim parents feel that these schools are not providing their children's needs. Being in an Islamic school is the most effective way for them to offer a religious and secular education while also guaranteeing that their children's education reflects their parents' religion and culture. In their view, children can have a socially adequate host society identity, provided that they maintain their culture and religious beliefs. Muslim parents prefer separate-sex schools for girls and boys and parents are happy for their children to attend mixed primary schools but believe their children must be in single-sex Islamic secondary schools or, in some cases, non-Islamic single-sex schools girls after puberty for many reasons, which include religious, cultural and behavioural issues.

Auteur

Masauda Elaswed was born in Libya, 1970. She has worked as a middle school teacher, deputy head-teacher, a lecturer and internal advisor. She first started taking interest on how the Muslim community educates their children in the Netherlands, 1996. Ultimately diverting her research to how British Muslims educate their children in Islamic Schools.