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| Online Edition | Vol. 3 No. 6|: Rajab 1418/Novemer 1997 |
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Editorial: Over the past two decades, three has been rapid growth in the establishment of Muslim schools. There could be two reasons for this. One is the degeneration of state-schools into a counter-culture of an amoral abyss, devoid of core values and spirituality. The other is the gradual decline in standards, both academic and technology-related. The founding premise of most, if not all Muslim schools, is the desire to implement a holistic approach to education in a non-racial environment with strong Islāmic ethos. Some of the common objectives would be academic excellence, Islāmic morals and etiquette. These objectives in themselves are a tall order for our schools without the added burden of great financial costs. But this is only half the challenge! Whilst our concept is taking root, in this, the formative stage, we should guard against becoming just another 'private' school with a Muslim bias. We should also be alert to the realities of our social milieu. Let it not be that we perpetuate methods and ideas that were created for generations possessing a cultural outlook different to our own. We should move from old concerns to new challenges. Part of this challenge is to assess some of the issues that we take for granted, simply because it's a Muslim school. How committed is the child to his ‘Islāmic’ uniform? Is this worn after school and in the non-school environment? Does the outside uniform effect a change internally in behaviour? Is there a dichotomy between the external and the internal? Is the appearance of ‘Muslimness’ by both learners and teachers an illusion, if there is no transformation in conduct? Is the Qur’ān a living miracle in all lessons? In other words, does the geography, science or mathematics teacher implement the relevant pointers from revelation as a starting point to that discipline? Ours is the age of specialisation. Do we equip the student thoroughly in a focussed, specific physical activity such as self-defence, instead of a rudimentary exposure to the more traditional athletics, soccer, cricket, etc.? Is our approach innovative? Do we transcend the norm in equipping a grade eight student to know how to wire a three pin plug, how to put out an electrical fire in a kitchen, how to balance a cheque book, what financial instruments are there in the market-place, basic car maintenance, how to survive a day in the, bush, or abyss down a cliff? Is technology a priority subject in our schools? Is career guidance focused on what our country needs and where our represen-tation is low or non-existent? Life Skills There are life skills that our children need to know. There are nuances in the media they need to be cautious about. There are computer and infor-matics skills they need to master, if they are to be better than the best. There are civil service options in a democratic S.A. we need to tap into; there are nich-es in industry, agriculture and mining we were barred from. If our children are to play a meaningful role, in an increasing-ly competitive job market, they need to be the best at what they do. But above all, they have to have teach-ers who will infuse the desire to develop taq’wa in all that they do. Our paradigm will have to develop situational leaders amongst our youth, so that they become innovators instead of imitators. Sometimes modern thought learns more from antiquity than from cutting-edge technology. There is a non-Muslim private school, whose fee structure is perhaps the most expensive in this country. Part of the extramural activity for a grade twelve student is to spend some time in the fields tending sheep! The object of this exercise is to instil a sense of balance between power over defenceless animals and mercy to their needs (in addition to the more obvious aspects of humility, being close to nature etc.). Now whose sunnah is this? All the prophets (Alaihimus salaam) were at some time in their mission also shepherds. But try this in one of our schools and see the reaction! The approach, the attitude, the need to view the vision of what a Muslim school should achieve is the challenge. To achieve this, is to Islamise the subjects ... to filter the touch of the divine so that we move from the mundane to the supra-mundane. To achieve and maintain academic excellence is laudable, but to do it in a way where the words of Allāh and the conduct of his Nabī (SallAllāhu alaihi wasallam) is infused into the consciousness, is not only inspirational. It is our raison d’étre. |
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