What do you think of...

[TheKnowledgeSeeker]

Assalam,

I want to know what you all think about young children going to school to learn English, numbers, their ABC … rather than going to Islamic school. I have a four year old brother and he goes to islamic school. But what makes me real mad is that he doesn't go to Islamic school just to learn about islamic things but his numbers, abcs. I believe that every young muslim children should learn about islam at early age while their brain is fresh. So my question is what do you all think about young children going to nonmuslim school rather than Islamic? if you are a parent and if you are not a parent yet how would you choose which one to spend your child?

 

[Aapa]

Salaam,

There are no Islamic schools here. I compenstate as do the other mothers. We have Sunday school between 10:30 and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday mornings and we have an additional class on Wednesday evenings. We find this to be important. Islamic education is critical.

 

[goldenmuslimah21]

welll........I am like Mirjmom there are few islamic schools in my state I decided that I will atleast homeschool for the beginning of their education just to set the foundation.

wa alaikum salaam

 

[Mabsoot]

Assalam,

I want to know what you all think about young children going to school to learn English, numbers, their ABC … rather than going to Islamic school. I have a four year old brother and he goes to islamic school. But what makes me real mad is that he doesn't go to Islamic school just to learn about islamic things but his numbers, abcs. I believe that every young muslim children should learn about islam at early age while their brain is fresh. So my question is what do you all think about young children going to nonmuslim school rather than Islamic? if you are a parent and if you are not a parent yet how would you choose which one to spend your child?

Check out all the schools, look at "league tables" if they have any, make sure quality of education is high.

Just because a school labels itself as "Islamic" does not mean they have best interests of your child at heart. Most are run purely as businesses and provide second rate teaching. Infact, even some of the children can be bad influences. Certainly, in UK there are schools like that.

It is important children know both their Islam and also have decent education in worldly things. This is a must.

Islamic upbringing, tarbiyyah,and education is most importantly done in the home. It is parent's responsibility and we must make a great effort to help kids learn Islam and not get bad influence.

We must learn Islam from young age.. and throughout life. The Home is the place where this all starts and ends. We can not just rely on schools or institutions. Although, of course it helps!!

The situation might be different where you are, but I feel sad with what is happening in UK in some places. I see Some kids here in UK, they go to "Islamic" schools, and have atrocious English, bad manners and not much sense of the wider world. Their fathers are often content to live on government hand-outs, and spend most their time thinking about who to marry next.

They are just content for their kids to know how to count and say they just need learn ISlam only. Even, they look down on other people who have gone to university.

THe next generation of Muslims must be strong in their knowledge of Islam and in every other aspect of their lives. We must make education as our priority.

So, you have to weigh up the pros and cons of each and every school. Things are not always black and white.

For example, one of my relatives wished to place her girl in an Islamic school. The girl went there and did not like it at all. She complained the girls were scratching her and calling her names. They were around 8 years old. The teacher said it was normal. We learnt this teacher was the son of the headmaster. Infact, most of the teachers were from the same family or friends of the headmaster. The school itself had pest problem and was not adequately heated (to save on their electricity bills).

It also had very bad level of education. The only good thing was that they prayed together for the daily prayers and had some sort of Islamic teaching. Also, we noticed on the tables were daubed names of various actors of Indian movies and stuff.. It seemed that the children dont get much Islamic education at home, but, their parents think that just letting kids go to a Muslim school will make them better.


But, there is nothing that can not be done at home in a normal Muslim family. . .

Anyway, now she is in a Girls only Grammar school, which is mixed Muslim and non-Muslim. It is very good, she is happy and it is one of the best schools in England. They even teach Arabic and have all Halal food for everyone. So, she studies well there.

At home she memorises Quran and is now memorising Surah Baqarah, having finished the Last Juzz,. She is learning other aspects of Islam and benefiting from a caring loving Islamic environment in the home..

So, there is a lot to think about when making these choices. InshaAllah, you have good options where you are.

wasalam.

 

[nyerekareem]

:salam2:

if i had children, i would like for them to go to an islamic school, because the school would have more in common with my values than a public school would have. however, as brother mabsoot had mentioned, not all tslamic schools offer quality education, which is something that must be taken into consideration.

fortunately, where i live in new jersey there are quite a few islamic schools, and alhamdulillah they are top rated in the state and country. most of them are paid by private funds and there is one that gives financial aid so that all students have the chance for a quality islamic education.

sadly, most people trying to build islamic schools here in the States are given a hard time, because they are often being accused for being breeding grounds for extremists. the schools aren't even opened and they're saying these things. even teaching arabic in public and private schools here is controversial. they say we'll be indoctrinating kids to adopt islam. arabic is a language not a religion. not all arabs are muslim. they don't even realize that arabs only make up 20% of the world's muslims.

so i guess we as parents have to be the main educators of islam to our children, which means that we too must continue to educate ourselves in regards to our deen.

 

[Shahzad]

they are soooooo afraid of islam. they have seen the islamic rule and they dont want any thing to develop

 

[chaandani]

if there was a quality islamic school around where i live, i would certainly send my children there before i would send them to any public school (when i have children of course lol) most public schools just dont teach children the same values in my opinion.

 

[TheKnowledgeSeeker]

You know what i find very sad is that in Islamic school the headmaster hire their families who might not be educated enough to teach about islam or any thing for that matter when they can hire well educated muslims who can help the children. It is all about the money not the future leaders of islam. The islamic school in my state are ok i mean they are better than none islamic school but they are not educating the children as much as they should like the nonmuslim schools. Islamic parents send their children to islamic school because there their children will be force to pray at those schools but what they don't worry about is when the children is home. What they don't know is that they first have to educated the children at home which able to go to any school for education. At the end its sad and i real hope that this generation (those in colleges/universities) of islamic teachers both brothers and sisters will change that. Put islamic children before money. I am not a education major so those of you both sisters and brothers who are remember the leaders of tomorrow are in your hands so build better islamic school and education system and may Allah help you all do that Ameen!

 

[dianek]

Finally something I can speak knowledgeably about it. My 5 year old attends IQRA academy here and he can both read and write in English and Arabic, in KINDERGARTEN. He can now recite 14 Surahs. He just had to do a SCIENCE PROJECT in KINDERGARTEN.......I would say that in our situation, the islamic school surpasses the curriculum of the public schools. HOWEVER, on the down side, the school does seem to be a little unorganized in terms of processes and communicating with parents consistently. I do have an 11 year old in Public Schools and she flourishes there as well, although she is not Muslim....she is in the gifted program. BUT I see that what she did as a kindergartener pales in comparison to what my son is learning. He also has a very small class (6 kids I believe) and everyone in the staff knows my son. So he has relationships with everyone there.

 

[msrebgui]

I for one just enrolled my two boys in Islamic school, its been a little over 2 weeks now that they started and I am just shocked by all that they are learning MashAllah. I think I made a great move by taking them out of public school. They are 8 and 6 and know Surah Al Fatiha learning to pray, learning to write arabic and learning english studies all this in two weeks time. They are far advanced then the public schools here in Florida. They also have smaller class sizes so it is easier to get the one on one attention that they deserve. If you are in the US try AICP or TIES they are all over the states and promote Islamic education. If money is an issue their motto is the most important thing is to teach the children, so they work with you on a payment plan basically what you can afford.