Religious Education in Muslim Minority State of Singapore: Challenges in Enrolment for Primary School Education in Full-time Madrasah

Abstract

This paper takes an in-depth analysis of the primary one registration process conducted by the full-time madrasahs in Singapore. It explores the process from various perspectives, from the school administration, the role of the authorities in regulating policies for the madrasahs, the parents and guardians as well as the children intending to enrol into the madrasah education system. It attempts to understand where the challenges lie, from the criteria set by the madrasahs and the secular government in their enrolment and examination requirements, the demand and supply of madrasah education in the Muslim community, the problems and difficulties faced by both the schools and the students as well as their immediate families. It explores the lack of support and resources faced by the madrasah administration, the effort and challenges faced by the families in the registration process and the prerequisites and expectations demanded by the schools towards the pre-schoolers in order to qualify the enrolment criteria. The paper utilises various statistics from the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Singapore Department of Statistics (DOS) on the enrolment and education trends in the madrasahs, while referencing journals and publications by both local and international authors who have written extensively on the issues of madrasah education in Singapore. It also seeks the personal opinions of the relevant parties involved, through questionnaires and interviews, in order to get a representation of what challenges the Muslim community is facing. It synthesises their feedback, comments and opinions about what they have experienced, and take into account of their suggestions in order to produce plausible improvements to the current system. The outcome of the paper is a humble attempt to make an awareness of this recurring problem, preferably to the Madrasah Administration Committee. By formally recognising the problems and challenges faced by the Muslim community, and providing feasible suggestions and improvements to the current system, it is hoped that the key parties in charge would take relevant actions to hear the voices of the ummah and act accordingly to meet their needs. With this, the primary goal of the paper would then be realised, which is to improve the opportunities for the young generation of Muslims in Singapore to attain sound and holistic religious and academic education in full-time madrasahs, in order to be wholesome and capable Muslim leaders of tomorrow.