Centre for Muslim Educational Thought and Practice
since their mass arrival after the Second World War the Muslim communities in the UK and across Western Europehave been experiencing severe structural inequalities such as poverty and unemployment. The unfortunate developments during the last decade, at both national and international levels, coupled with the increasing high number of young people within the overall Muslim demographics have immensely complicated the challenges facing the community.
Bringing about an intelligent, strong Islamic awareness as well as the development of skills and competence for civic engagement appear essential for the community to address the issues arising from living in such a challenging context. Education in general and Islamic education in particular, are vital components in facilitating the achievement of these fundamental long term development goals for the British and European Muslim communities. MIHE has long recognised that education and Islamic education are vital components in realising the long-term developmental needs of British and European Muslim communities.
To answer these needs, MIHE has developed the first M.Ed. Master’s Degree programme in Islamic Education in Europe, which is validated by the University of Gloucestershire. By offering career development for teachers, imams, community activists, youth workers and others, this pioneering course has already attracted a substantial number of students. The course trains educators in how to assess the impact of their own teaching on the faith development and religious identity of their students, and how to develop effective teaching skills in diverse institutional settings in the context of a plural society.
In recognition of the need to promote Islamic Education as a recognised, multidisciplinary subject, with its own educational and theological approaches, MIHE has now established the Centre for Muslim Educational Thought and Practice. The Centre aims to conduct academic research into Muslim pedagogic practice and education policy within key institutions like the mosque, the supplementary school, the Islamic seminary and the Muslim faith school in order to analyse, understand and promote best practice.
The Centre offers opportunities to conduct scholarly research on diverse aspects of educational thought flourished within the rich Muslim intellectual heritage while reflecting upon contemporary challenges. Some of these areas include:
Professional Development
· Improving teacher training and professional qualifications of Muslim educators.
· Assessing the impact of Muslim theological education and the training of religious and educational leaders within the community.
Curricular and Institutional Development
· Facilitating curriculum development, textbook production and introducing effective pedagogies for key areas of Islamic Studies with specific reference to improving the Arabic teaching provision.
· Critical assessment of educational methodologies used within the mosque, madrasa, Muslim seminaries and schools.
· Critical assessment of the teaching of Islam within the mainstream RE curriculum at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.
Education and Social Policy
· Assessing the pastoral and educational needs of more than half-a-million Muslim pupils in theUK state school sector, as well as in other EU member states.
· Developing Islamic education perspectives on much debated social policy issues such as educational underachievement, social exclusion, alienation and responses to religious extremism.
The Centre promotes research in the field at three interacting levels:
· through individual research,
· through specific forums and meetings, and
· through collaborative projects.
The Centre liases with relevant academic institutions in the UK, Europe and the wider Muslim world and aspires to become an international academic forum for scholars to participate in through regular seminars, workshops, symposiums and conferences to enable the cross-fertilisation of ideas and the sharing of best practice. It is hoped that the Centre will help in nurturing the competencies required to set up professional Muslim teacher training provision in future in the UK and wider Europe
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