A MODEL MADARSA IN SINGAPORE

With students having Islamic education while studying secular subjects, Madrasa Al Irsyad Al Islamiah in Singapore is giving an example of a model Islamic education in tune with modern world. At class, students study religious subjects as well as secular studies such as English, math and other subjects from the national curriculum. The school’s 900 primary- and secondary-level students study religious education as well as the national curriculum of the country’s public schools. To accommodate both, the school day is three hours longer than at the mainstream schools. Al Irsyad ranks the top academic performer among Singapore’s six madrasas. It has a central spot in the new Islamic center of the Islamic Religious council of Singapore, a statutory board that advises the government on Muslim affairs. Many of the school’s graduates excel themselves, thanks to the Islamic-secular education. It has now become a model for many schools in South Asia region.