Advocates extensively for an all-encompassing Islamic educational system: Sofuoglu.
In an interview with the "Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland" (Wednesday edition), Gökay Sofuoglu, the chairman of the Turkish Community in Germany, has expressed his support for the demand for Islamic religious education in German schools. The Association for Education and Education (VBE) made this demand on Tuesday.
Currently, the implementation of Islamic religious education in German schools varies significantly across the country, due to it being regulated at the state level. Some states, such as North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Hesse, Saarland, and Lower Saxony, have implemented Islamic religious education programs. However, only around 81,000 students participate, despite there being about 5.5 million Muslims in Germany and at least 580,000 Muslim students as of 2020.
The challenges in implementing Islamic religious education nationwide are numerous. The absence of a unified Islamic body for collaboration and the denominational fragmentation, including Sunni, Shiite, Turkish, and Arab communities, make it difficult to establish standardized curricula and cooperation with Islamic religious communities. Furthermore, federalism limits the possibility of a nationwide uniform approach.
Gökay Sofuoglu emphasizes the need for a nationwide Islamic cooperation partner to standardize Islamic religious education but acknowledges that such a partner is currently lacking, which is a major hurdle. He also believes that the federal states have a responsibility in the implementation of Islamic religious education in German schools.
To address these issues and improve integration and extremism prevention, the VBE proposes a comprehensive national strategy. This strategy includes introducing nationwide Islamic religious education to give Muslim students similar opportunities as Christian students, equipping schools with the necessary personnel and teaching materials, regularly evaluating, optimizing, and expanding pilot programs, and aligning educational standards nationally while respecting constitutional constraints related to education policy decentralization.
Gökay Sofuoglu wants Islamic religious education to be introduced in German schools, comparing it to Catholic and Protestant religious education. He acknowledges, however, that he is unsure about how to regulate the implementation of Islamic religious education nationwide. Despite the challenges, he emphasizes the importance of addressing these issues to ensure equal opportunities for all students and to promote integration and counter extremist ideologies.
- The Association for Education and Self-Development (VBE) shares Gökay Sofuoglu's advocacy for Islamic religious education in German schools, suggesting a comprehensive national strategy that includes standardizing curricula, equipping schools, and aligning educational standards to address disparities with Christian religious education and promote integration.
- Amidst the challenges in nationwide implementation of Islamic religious education, Gökay Sofuoglu calls for political engagement, emphasizing the responsibility of federal states to establish a nationwide Islamic cooperation partner, which could provide the necessary framework to prevent extremism and ensure equal educational opportunities for all students.
