From the start of the 2023 – 2024 school year teachers of Islamic religious instruction in Flemish schools will for the first time be able to use a contemporary textbook and digital support material written and produced here in Flanders. Currently teachers of Islamic religious instruction in Flanders are often having to use textbooks that are rather dated and are not adapted to the world in which contemporary Flemish youth lives.
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Contemporary textbook and digital support material now available for teachers of Islamic religious instruction for the first time
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The new textbook and digital support material will be ready for use with pupils in the first and third years of secondary school. Islamic religious instruction had been taught in schools in Flanders for the past 40 years. In the 2021 – 2022 school year 34,352 pupils in schools in the 5 Flemish provinces and Brussels opted to study Islamic religious instruction.
In Flanders official schools (municipal schools, provincial school and schools managed by the Flemish Community’s Schools Board, GO!) are obliged to provide pupils with the choice to either study religious instruction in one of 6 official recognised faiths or non-confessional ethical studies. During the 2021-2022 school year 34,352 pupils in Flemish education opted to study Islamic religious instruction. The subject is taught by around 450 teachers in 380 Flemish schools.
Dated material
Despite the sizable number of pupils opting to study Islamic religious instruction, there was until no complete package of course material available like there is for other subjects taught in our schools. Currently teachers have to devise their own course material and often either use books published in Turkey that have been translated into Dutch or other dated material.
Two years ago, the publishers Van In got together with a group of Flemish Muslims and set to work on putting together a package of contemporary material for the teaching of Islamic religious instruction in secondary schools.
Islam in contemporary society
Van In’s General Manager Vicky Adriaenssen told VRT News that “The authors have ensured that the interpretation of Islam given reflects modern society. A strong link is made with the world in which young people live. Topics include bullying, climate and human rights”.
Mohamed El Fadili had the task of coordinating the project. He told VRT News that there has long been a desire on the part of teachers for material to be available that allows them to teach Islam in the context of contemporary Flemish society. However, there was also a lot of suspicion.
"We are pleased that the publishers Van In stuck their neck out by taking this initiative. We have a whole team behind us that was able to make illustrations and develop digital course material. This is something that you would never be able to do on your own as a teacher. We hope the teachers of Islamic religious instruction will chose to use our material”.
Sīra
The package of teaching material has been given the name Sīra. This represents the path followed by the Prophet Muhammed during his life and the path to be followed by the youngsters in the Islamic religious instruction classes.
Mohamed El Fadili told VRT News that the aim is “to bring pupils into contact with differing points of view to enable them to investigate and form their own opinion”.
The new course material has already been tested by six teachers that have a total of 150 pupils in the first and third years of secondary school. Other teachers across Flanders will be able to use the course book and material from September this year. Van In hopes to have a book and material ready that is suitable for Islamic religious instruction class in the 2nd and 4th years of secondary school by the start of the 2024-2025 school year.