Madrasah Education in Secular, Modern and Multicultural Singapore: Challenges and Reforms

Abstract

Madrasah education has become a major concern for secular, modern and pluralist Singapore due to government’s deep-seated anxiety about whether the Islamic school graduates can contribute to the national economy and integrate into national cohesion. T his article aims at exploring the challenges and reform of madrasah education within the secular, modern, and multicultural state. Data of this qualitative study were c ollect ed from official documents and websites, literature review, and interviews . S ome data and relevant literature are then presented and analyzed. It is found that madrasah education has constantly been perceived in a negative nuance due to its insignificant contribution to the country’s knowledge-based economy. The orthodox and conservative education system in madrasahs is also viewed as hindering Singapore’s racial and religious cohesion. These challenges then force Singaporean Muslims to reform its madrasahs by changing the orientation, revamping the system, improving quality , instilling national cohesion and increasing the funding . This study implies that reformation in Islamic education would be successful when stakeholders innovatively negotiating the pressures brought by the politics and the national government and adjusting to the identity and aspiration of local society.