COVER STORY
An Uncertain Future? How Covid-19 is impacting enrollment levels in full-time Islamic schools BY SHAZA KHAN AND ISRA BRIFKANI
I
slamic schools have a 90-year history in the U.S. From the Nation of Islam’s “University of Islam” (est. 1930; renamed “Sister Clara Muhammad Schools” in 1975), as the primary and secondary Islamic schools were first known, to the community Islamic schools established in the late 1970s by Muslim immigrants from predominantly Muslim countries, full-time Islamic schools have played an important role in cultivating an Islamic identity for all Muslim Americans. These schools were established for many reasons, ranging from creating an alternative to racially oppressive and discriminatory public schools, to protecting students from what has often been perceived as an immoral youth culture and to cultivating a strong Muslim identity.
Each school has taken on unique ways of delivering on its “why.” Such institutions remain important to Muslim youth and community formation. Based on data from the Islamic Schools League of America’s school registry (ISLA, www.theisla.org), full-time Islamic schools educate approximately 50,000 students in an estimated 300 schools nationwide. While they educate only 3.8% of Muslim American children, their impact extends further afield. First, these schools represent a mature nonprofit institution that follows federal and local laws and has joined accrediting bodies and professional organizations to help them achieve their missions. Second, they help provide foundational and systematic instruction on Islamic sciences to young
Muslims, more so than most weekend or supplementary Islamic educational institutions are able to offer, if for no other reason than their consistent daily instruction and need to deliver a quality service to their paying constituents. Third, they help nurture ties to the mosque across multiple generations, since many, if not most, Islamic schools offer some portion of their educational program within a mosque. In addition, after its establishment an Islamic school often offers many programs and services to those who do not attend the full-time school, including Eid carnivals, iftars, community service initiatives and more. Thus, their impact is felt throughout the entire community. Yet with Covid-19, Islamic schools face an uncertain future. While we hope that Islamic schools will recover from the multifaceted issues presented by the pandemic, there is a significant concern about the sustained enrollment and fundraising they depend on to maintain operations. The following sections highlight findings from a recent ISLA-conducted study regarding the current and future state of this country.
WIDESPREAD DECLINING ENROLLMENT AND HYBRID INSTRUCTION Last year, ISLA administered a survey (late October through early November) to help Islamic schools make data-based decisions to mitigate the pandemic’s impact. In addition to directly emailing the survey to over 300 schools in ISLA’s database, the survey was also shared via two communication networks designated for Islamic schools.
Average Full-Time Islamic School 2020 Enrollment
Sectarian Affiliation
168
Islam (Sunni)
Accredited
Annual Operating Budget
Yes, or seeking accreditation
$700,0001,000,000
28 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021
Principal
Staff Particulars
Average Tuition
Muslim
Muslim & Non-Muslim, 19 full-time employees
$6,000-7,000 per student
