Education in the Muslim world

This key issues page examines education in the Muslim World.  Most frequently, it refers to majority Muslim countries, where Islam dominates politically. It's aim is to provide a starting point for discussion on education in the Muslim world, and specifically provides literature on educational access with a focus on gender; curriculum and content of educational provision; and types of educational providers, and specifically, how decisions are being made about where children go to school.

Much of the literature on education in the Muslim world focuses on educational provision in individual states or between states, rather than literature which specifically links to religious aspects of that provision. While there is a growing literature on aspects of research which might relate more specifically to aspects of Islam (e.g. curriculum content, types of service providers etc.), this is often less prevalent. What is available here should be seen as a starting point for debate; and hopefully as research interest in education in the Muslim world develops, more evidence-based resources will become available.

Access to education: who goes to school and who is excluded

Concerns are often raised about low access to formal schooling in the Muslim world, both in countries where Islam predominates and those where Muslim communities are a minority group. The focus is often on the education of girls in these contexts, although some countries have done much to address the issue of low enrolment levels for girls. Yet, reports continue to highlight concerns that MDG and EFA goals are in danger of not being achieved in some contexts. Recommended reading…

 

Curriculum and educational content

The content of educational provision in Islamic contexts, including curriculum issues, has received some attention, especially in relation to madrassahs. There is some debate as to the role a religious curriculum plays, as compared to government-led curriculum in these schools. Often madrassahs are portrayed as using solely rote learning of religious texts, but recent studies indicate a more complex and varied reality, with conventional subjects taught in primary and secondary schools, also sometimes covered. Recommended reading…

 

Educational providers: decision-making about where to send children to school

The range of educational providers for children in the Muslim World includes government providers, non-state providers, madrassahs, etc. Households make informed decisions about where children should be schooled, depending on differing supply and demand factors. The following documents examine these decision-making processes and the factors that influence them. Recommended readings...