ERIC Number: EJ1214422
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-May
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0010-4086
EISSN: N/A
Registered Medersas in Mali: Effectively Integrating Islamic and Western Educational Epistemologies in Practice
Boyle, Helen N.
Comparative Education Review, v63 n2 p145-165 May 2019
This article examines "government-registered medersas" in Mali and suggests that their appeal and expansion are due to their unique and innovative integration of Western and Islamic educational epistemologies (not simply subjects). Registered medersas respond to parental demands for the early introduction of "secular" knowledge, alongside Qur'anic memorization. Secular subjects have not overwhelmed the schools' focus on spiritual development and discipline, even as they feature more Western organizational features and teaching methods. The value placed on secular subjects by parents signals their newer and expanded views on the purpose of schooling. Further, parents viewed registered medersas as accountable to them in terms of ensuring student learning, both in secular subjects and appropriate Muslim behavior and in ensuring the ability of students to continue their schooling beyond the primary level (and ultimately find productive work). Finally, because of their unique history, the regulatory environment in which registered medersas operate is significantly more autonomous and efficient than regular public schools in Mali.
Descriptors: Religious Education, Epistemology, Foreign Countries, Islam, Memorization, Western Civilization, Educational Philosophy, Parent Attitudes, Teaching Methods, Spiritual Development, Muslims, Accountability, Educational Attainment, Employment Potential, Parent Aspiration, Elementary Education, Educational History, Public Schools, Institutional Autonomy
University of Chicago Press. Journals Division, P.O. Box 37005, Chicago, IL 60637. Tel: 877-705-1878; Tel: 773-753-3347; Fax: 877-705-1879; Fax: 773-753-0811; e-mail: subscriptions@press.uchicago.edu; Web site: http://www.press.uchicago.edu
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Mali
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A