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3/8/06

RNW: Muslim schools in the Netherlands face closure because parents favor integrated Dutch schools

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Muslim schools in the Netherlands face closure because parents favor integrated Dutch schools

Professor van Koningsveld Leiden University says the percentage of Muslim children going to Islamic schools is extremely low, because the majority of their parents actually want them to attend mixed schools. Of the 46 Muslim schools in the country, almost 25 percent face a shortage of pupils. Rasit Bal, director of Islamic schools organisation ISBO, fears that schools which don't meet the current requirements could be closed, and says the requirements have simply been set too high. Professor van Koningsveld points to the fact that the requirements of which Rasit Bal is so critical actually apply to all faith-based schools, including those based on the teachings of Christianity or Judaism.

Of the 80,000 children from Muslim families living in the Netherlands some 10 years ago, only 10,000 attended an Islamic school, the rest went to 'ordinary' mainstream schools or even to Catholic or Protestant ones. Now, Muslim schools still only have a total of around 10,000 pupils. van Koningsveld believes that the fact that most Muslim parents are sending their children to mixed schools shows that these parents want their offspring to integrate quickly into Dutch society. However, he also quotes the official body responsible for inspecting schools, which has reported that quite a number of Muslim schools have poorly-educated people running them and not enough qualified religious teachers. This too, he argues, is a reason why many Muslim children ultimately do not go to these schools.

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