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Modern Education
Reference:

Trajectories of public education in Muslim families of the Republic of Bashkortostan

Nadyrshin Timur Maratovich

Junior Scientific Associate, R. G. Kuzeev Institute of Ethnological Studies of Ufa Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences

450077, Russia, respublika Bashkortostan, g. Ufa, ul. Karla Marksa, 6

timurimp@mail.ru
Other publications by this author
 

 

DOI:

10.25136/2409-8736.2022.1.37201

Received:

26-12-2021


Published:

23-01-2022


Abstract: The problem of conservation and transmission of their culture is important for the religious communities, namely for Muslims. The educational path of children born to Muslim families in the multicultural society may either coincide or differ from the path of their peers. This article examines the existing trajectories of public education in the Muslim community of Ufa. Analysis is conducted on such forms of education as: public schools for religious children; stay-at-home family education; and private schools. In the first instance, the restraining factors for believers are the absence of halal food and the difficulty of manifestation of identity through clothing. In the second instance, believers there are no two aforementioned problem, but lack of socialization. In the third instance, the financial situation of the religious families matters. Meanwhile, the Ufa Muslim community is discussing the creation of educational projects that would meet the needs of religious parents, produce and reproduce the Muslim elite, since the state education system is not yet capable of solving these issues.


Keywords:

Islam, education in Islam, family education, religious education, Muslim community, culture transmission, private schools, inculturation, muslim family, educational trajectory

This article is automatically translated.

The article is carried out within the framework of the topic of the state task of the IEI UFIC RAS for 2021 "Traditional religions and new religious movements in the Southern Urals and the Urals: issues of functioning, state-confessional and interfaith relations"

 

 Introduction

       Education is a form of cultural transmission. For religious communities, the problem of preserving and transmitting their culture is significant. Muslims are no exception either. The educational path of children born in Muslim families in a multicultural society can both coincide and differ from the path of their peers. In our previous work, we considered the trajectories of additional education of children in Muslim families [4]. In this article, we will look at what trajectories of general education exist in the Muslim community. In the context of this work, by "Muslims" we will mean believers whose daily life is closely connected with the adoption of religiously motivated decisions, that is, those believers who observe prayer practice, keep fasting, adhere to the canons of clothing, etc.

                This topic is important for a number of reasons. Firstly, the motives for choosing the educational trajectory of Muslims differ from the choice of other parents, whose daily life is not so closely connected with religious experience. Secondly, the economic structure of the Muslim family has a number of serious restrictions in nutrition and behavior, and the state education system cannot guarantee compliance with these principles for the children of believers in a number of parameters. Thirdly, religious communities strive on the one hand to isolate themselves, and on the other to spread their worldview, and the educational factor in this context will play its role. Thus, given the reasons, it will be important to say that the topic is of interest to the humanities.

                Russian humanities has already sought to conduct research on this topic. The study of the integration of the young generation of Muslim believers into the religious life of the community is presented only in official forms in the form of mektabs and faculty courses. As Z.N. Fatkullina notes, maktab is a place of development of the jamaat. The integration of believers is possible due to a positive image of religion, joint actions of all interested parties, and pressure on Muslims only leads to the hardening of the religious community and the consolidation of believers [6] Tibetan courses on K.I. Nasibullov are the most common and decisive form of religious education for integration into the life of the community. An important factor of integration is the narration of Muslim summer camps for children, which today are the most popular form of integration of young people into the active life of the community. However, the publication does not reflect this type of activity in detail and is not represented by empirical observations and oral narratives of community members [5].

The interaction of believers with the state education system is conducted only in the context of discussing the topic of hijab at school. Religious norms of relations with the opposite sex, as well as endless disputes in science and the media regarding the norms of clothing can serve as an illustration here [2, 3]. In this regard, social problems may occur, for example, as Zayn notes, in Canada in the early 2000s, the aspirations regarding the studies of Muslim children, especially girls, are not taken seriously (If a student skipped school, they do not check. If they do not study, do not criticize or are indifferent) . Another problem is the "Split Personality Syndrome" in which a young person is forced to develop one type of personality to cope with stressful pressure at school, and another type to meet the cultural requirements of the home and community.[1].

However, the actual trajectories of Muslims in the general education system are little represented. This research lacuna is of interest for modern Islamic studies.

In this article, we will answer the question of how believers who observe religious practice implement a general education program in the context of the city of Ufa. The purpose of the study is to analyze the forms of general education in the Muslim community of the city. Before the work there is an analysis of the following forms of education:

1.       General education along with the rest of the students.

2.       Family education with learning at home

3.       Family education with the acquisition of knowledge in a private school

This research is conducted in the context of the anthropology of education, a subdiscipline studying the mutual influence of culture and education. In the context of this approach, education is seen as a cultural universal that is characteristic of all groups. At the same time, Muslim education means not only the study of religion, but also those forms in which Muslims act as subjects of educational activity. The novelty of the research lies in the introduction into scientific circulation of a number of data from a survey of Muslim parents of the Republic of Bashkortostan, a superficial review of Muslim educational projects

The Muslim community, which is heterogeneous in its content, also sets itself the task of transmitting (transmitting) culture. In this regard, the processes of socialization, inculturation and indoctrination appear in a single hypostasis. The extremely heterogeneous Muslim community of Russia in general and the Republic of Bashkortostan in particular require the use of ethnographic research methods.

The novelty of the study lies in the conclusions of the study, which indicate that the Muslim educational space, on the one hand, strives for integration, and on the other, for isolation. At the moment, the state secondary school cannot provide comfortable conditions for the children of believers to receive education. The socio-demographic and economic conditions of a Muslim family often cannot provide the children of believers with decent educational prospects. In the future, this may become the basis for the marginalization of a certain proportion of the Muslim community. In addition, the novelty lies in the introduction into scientific circulation of a part of the survey of believing Muslim parents in Ufa.

Methods

The work uses traditional research methods for social sciences: survey, interviewing, questioning, observation. In particular, in 2021, 90 Muslim parents observing Muslim prayer practice were interviewed in the Google Forms system. This survey revealed the following problems: the forms of nutrition at school, as well as the level of discomfort at school due to religious identity.

Results

 General education along with the rest of the students. Judging by observations, most believers send their children to public schools. Nevertheless, even in this context there is a certain desire for unification. For example, it is preferable for parents to include their children in national schools. These are, for example, Bashkir and Tatar gymnasiums.

Ufa is not a city where halal nutrition is implemented at school. Thanks to the activities of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Republic of Bashkortostan, halal nutrition has been implemented in nine districts of the Republic since the new academic year [7]. This issue is the main stumbling block for believers. Of course, there are families in which parents send students to school with lunch boxes. However, in this case, the student is separated from the team. He does not eat with everyone and this leads him to isolation from the rest of his classmates.

The results of a survey among Muslim parents showed that 21.6% of parents can only partially provide children with halal food, 2.3% eat at school on an equal basis with other children.

Along with this issue, the differences in appearance are fundamental. This problem concerns primarily girls. However, a significant proportion of Bashkiria believers do not require girls to comply with the dress code at a young age.

The parents were asked a question: Has your child/children experienced discomfort due to their religious affiliation in an educational institution? 38.2% of parents replied that there were no such problems. 

These are compromises that most believers make, but there is a large proportion of those Muslims who have chosen other strategies for their children to receive general education.

Family education with the acquisition of knowledge at home. The second form, which is also common, is staying on family education. In this case, the children are at home, and the parents themselves provide them with the necessary amount of knowledge. 10.3% of parents answered that their children receive a family form of education. This is quite a large number, since in the whole country the statistics of family-educated students are significantly lower than 1 percent. There are families that invite tutors in the most important subjects, and there are families that attach students to an online school. Such online schools provide an opportunity to gain knowledge on Russian programs, for example, "School of Russia" and even attach to some Moscow school for certification.

Family education with the acquisition of knowledge in a private school. In the third case, believers, in order to provide their children with a team and the realities of a normal school, organize the education of their children in a private school. There are several projects in Ufa that implement an environment in which Muslim children study. These projects do not publicly announce themselves as Muslim schools, but these projects are characterized by a high percentage of religious teachers, halal nutrition and a number of other criteria that are important for Muslims. However, these projects do not have accreditation, and they work within the framework of additional education, which reduces their competitive opportunities in the educational market.
At the request of the respondents, we will not mention the names of schools here. The first of the cases is attached to one teacher, whose school is 1 large office. Here the teacher conducts all the lessons. Classes are provided only for elementary school students. Lessons are held in 2 shifts three times a week for each class. Sunday is a day off. The tuition fee is less than 10 thousand rubles per month. The second case is a private school for grades 1-5, subject-based education is implemented here. That is, there is no one teacher for primary classes, and students, depending on the lesson, move from office to office. The school has its own small sports hall, a recreation room, a meal room and several classrooms. The second project is supported not only by tuition fees, but also by donations from religious businessmen. The tuition fee is about 20 thousand rubles per month with meals.

It should be noted that the presented educational projects are available only to a well-off share of the Muslim community. The results presented below relate to additional education, but they partly demonstrate educational opportunities. According to the survey, 31% are ready to provide children with only free forms of supplements.education. 36.9% are ready to invest no more than 5 thousand rubles per month in additional education. 21.4% are ready to invest no more than 10 thousand rubles per month in additional education.

Conclusion

    In subsequent works, it is planned to conduct in-depth case studies of examples of each of the presented groups of educational projects. The Muslim educational space, on the one hand, strives for integration, and on the other hand, for isolation. Projects for children will be built around these two contradictory processes. In recent years, the emergence of a class of wealthy Muslim elite contributes to the fact that projects are being discussed to create an elite educational institution for the children of believers. The demand for quality, coupled with the value qualification in the field of education, are basic for a significant proportion of believers. However, there are also constraints. The large number of children in Muslim families, the refusal of women from careers, the lack of their own housing due to the mortgage interest rate do not allow a large proportion of believers to provide Muslim children with a decent educational trajectory [4]. In the long term, this may become the basis for the marginalization of a certain proportion of the Muslim community of Ufa. Unfortunately, the state school at the moment cannot provide the children of believers with a comfortable educational environment.

References
1. Zine J. Muslim Youth in Canadian Schools: Education and the Politics of Religious Identity // Anthropology & Education Quarterly. – 2001. – 32. – ¹ 4. – P. 413–414.
2. Baltanova G.R. Khidzhab v shkole: nado li budit' spyashchego l'va? // Vysshee obrazovanie segodnya. – ¹ 5. – 2017. – S. 56-62;
3. Kolesnichenko M.B. Sotsiologicheskii vzglyad na noshenie khidzhaba // Istoricheskie, filosofskie, politicheskie i yuridicheskie nauki, kul'turologiya i iskusstvovedenie. Voprosy teorii i praktiki. – 2014. – ¹ 10-3 (48). – S. 101-106.
4. Nadyrshin T.M. — Traektorii dopolnitel'nogo obrazovaniya detei v musul'manskikh sem'yakh Respubliki Bashkortostan // Sotsiodinamika. – 2021. – ¹ 3. – S. 56-63. DOI: 10.25136/2409-7144.2021.3.35154 URL: https://nbpublish.com/library_read_article.php?id=35154
5. Nasibullov K.I. Nachal'nyi segment musul'manskogo obrazovaniya: itogi monitoringa primechetskikh kursov v Respublike Tatarstan // Islamovedenie. – 2015. T. – ¹ 1 (23). – S. 29-42.
6. Fatkhullina Z.N. Rol' islamskogo obrazovaniya v formirovanii religioznoi identichnosti podrastayushchego pokoleniya // Sovremennaya obrazovatel'naya sreda: teoriya i praktika : materialy VI Mezhdunar. nauch.-prakt. konf. (Cheboksary, 29 noyab. 2019 g.). – Cheboksary: TsNS «Interaktiv plyus», 2019. - S. 25-27.
7. Shkoly devyati raionov Bashkortostana s novogo uchebnogo goda poluchat khalyal' pitanie // IA Bashinform. URL: https://www.bashinform.ru/news/social/2021-05-18/shkoly-devyati-rayonov-bashkortostana-s-novogo-uchebnogo-goda-poluchat-halyal-pitanie-2346556 (Data obrashcheniya: 24.12.2021)

First Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

The subject of the study is the trajectories of general education for children in Muslim families of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The research methodology is based on a theoretical approach using methods of analysis, generalization, comparison, and synthesis. The results of the application of the mentioned empirical methods (survey, interviewing, questionnaire) are not properly presented. The relevance of the research is due to the importance of implementing in a modern multicultural society a variety of options for obtaining general education (including taking into account confessional characteristics), the need to study and design appropriate organizational and pedagogical conditions, including the trajectories of obtaining general education for children in Muslim families of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The scientific novelty is not explicitly presented by the author and is apparently related to the formulated conclusions that the Muslim educational space, on the one hand, strives for integration, and on the other, for isolation. Trajectories of children's general education will be built around these two contradictory processes. Today, public schools cannot provide comfortable educational conditions for the children of believers. The large number of children in Muslim families, the refusal of women to work, and the lack of their own housing do not make it possible for a large proportion of believers to provide children with a decent education. In the future, this may become the basis for the marginalization of a certain proportion of the Muslim community. The article is written in Russian literary language. The style of presentation is scientific. The structure of the manuscript includes the following sections (not highlighted or titled in separate sections): Introduction (education as a form of cultural transmission, the importance of education for religious communities, the educational path of children in Muslim families in a multicultural society, trajectories of general education in the Muslim community, research on this topic, integration of the young generation of Muslim believers into the religious life of the community in the form of maktabs and university courses, the interaction of believers with the state education system, the purpose of the study), Results (general education along with other students, Bashkir and Tatar gymnasiums, halal nutrition, differences in appearance; family education with learning at home, tutors, online schools; family education with obtaining knowledge in a private school), Conclusion (conclusions), Bibliography. The content generally corresponds to the title. At the same time, the small volume of the manuscript does not allow us to get a complete picture of the frequency of implementation and the factors that determine certain trajectories of general education for children in Muslim families of the Republic of Bashkortostan. It should be recommended to the author to increase the volume of research material by including data from the mentioned case studies. The bibliography includes seven sources of domestic and foreign authors – scientific articles, materials of scientific events, Internet resources. Bibliographic descriptions of some sources should be adjusted in accordance with GOST and editorial requirements: 1. Zine J. Muslim Youth in Canadian Schools: Education and the Politics of Religious Identity // Anthropology & Education Quarterly. 2001. Vol. 32. No. 4. P. 413-414. 2. Baltanova G. R. Hijab at school: is it necessary to wake up a sleeping lion? // Higher education today. 2017. No. 5. pp. 56-62. 5. Nasibullov K. I. The initial segment of Muslim education: the results of monitoring university courses in the Republic of Tatarstan // Islamic Studies. 2015. Vol. 6. No. 1 (23). pp. 29-42. 6. Fatkhullina Z. N. The role of Islamic education in the formation of the religious identity of the younger generation // Modern educational environment: theory and practice : collection of materials of the V International Scientific and Practical Conference. The place of publication ??? : Name of the publishing house ???, 2019. pp. 25-27. In general, it is desirable to expand the number of sources used. Appeal to opponents (Baltanova G. R., Kolesnichenko M. B., Nasibullov K. I., Fatkhullina Z. N., Zine J. etc.) takes place mainly in the first part. There is practically no discussion of the results, their comparison with the data obtained by other authors in similar studies, which needs to be corrected. In general, the material is of interest to the readership, but needs significant revision, after which the manuscript can be considered for publication in the journal Modern Education.

Second Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

The subject of the research in the article "Trajectories of general education in Muslim families of the Republic of Bashkortostan" is the analysis of the implementation of general education programs by Muslims of Ufa who observe religious practice, The article analyzes the forms of general education in the Muslim community of the city in three directions: general education along with other students, family education with knowledge at home, family education education with the acquisition of knowledge in a private school. The relevance of the study is determined by the study of such circumstances as: the difference in the motives for choosing an educational trajectory by Muslim parents, the limitations of the economic structure of the Muslim family, the internal structure in the religious community. The research methodology is based on the methods of anthropology of education (in the context of the influence of culture and education) and ethnology. Such methods of theoretical research as analysis and systematization were used. Traditional research methods for social sciences are used: a survey of Muslim parents of the Republic of Bashkortostan, interviewing, questioning and observation. The survey analyzes the responses of 90 Muslim families. The central place of the article is given to the specifics of the implementation of the education of Muslim children according to the results of the survey. Statistical data characterizing the existing problems in the general education of Muslim children in public educational institutions, family education at home and in private schools are presented. The novelty of the study lies in the conclusions that "the Muslim educational space, on the one hand, strives for integration, and on the other, for isolation." It is noted that the existing socio-demographic and economic conditions of a Muslim family often cannot provide decent educational prospects for the children of believers, which may indicate the marginalization of a certain proportion of the Muslim community. The article is written in scientific language. The introductory part of the article is devoted to the analysis of the problems of the implementation of education in Muslim families, the comparison of existing scientific positions on the issues of anthropology of education. The main part of the article presents statistical data from a survey of Muslim parents in the context of the implementation of children's education. In the final part, it is noted that "the state secondary school cannot provide comfortable educational conditions for the children of believers." The bibliography contains 7 sources, among which there are scientific articles and materials in English. All sources correspond to the subject of the study. The list of references is designed according to GOST and there are references to sources in the text. In general, the results of the study are presented competently, the author consistently reveals the subject of the study in accordance with the three forms of educational trajectories outlined earlier. An observation of the methodological plan can be attributed to the incorrect representation of data as a percentage if the sample size is less than 100 people. Meanwhile, the material has novelty and can be useful to specialists studying the anthropology of education.