Frequently Asked Question

 

Discipline Defined
Discipline means teaching or learning — not “to punish”. The root word of discipline is disciple a person who leads others in the way they should go. To discipline is to lead or guide behavior.
The short-term goal of discipline is to guide behavior on a daily basis and to protect children from hurting themselves or others.
The long-term goal is to help children to become self-disciplined and responsible for their own behavior.
Guidance before Discipline
Guidance is what you do before a problem happens.
Set appropriate behavior limits; let the children participate in the “Rule Making Process.”
Use the ‘Power of the Positive” approach.
Be consistent.
Do not just teach discipline. Be a mentor of self-discipline.
Discipline Is Not Punishment
Discipline Is intended to solve problems through words and actions.
Discipline guides, educates, and facilitates growth.
Physical punishment is NEVER allowed.
Verbal abuse is not discipline.
Discipline Is not connected with food, rest, or toileting.

Muslim Schools Versus Public Schools
By Samana Siddiqui, Soundvision
Seven-year-old Zaahirah Abdullah has a passion for Spice Girls, nose rings and bellybutton rings, thanks to her friends and a favorite teacher at Pyrtle elementary school in Lincoln, Nebraska.
“She’s really into style,” says her mother Najla Abdullah, who attended the same public school as a child. “I can see I really need to build Islamic fundamentals with her,” she adds earnestly in an interview with Sound Vision.
Zaahira’s interest in the rock band and body ornamentation through the influence of friends and her teacher speaks to the power of public schools to shape the attitudes of most Muslim children in North America.
Zaahirah will be starting grade three in September. She is one of the 98 percent of Muslim children in the United States who attend public schools. And it’s her generation over whom the debate about sending Muslim children to Mu http://www.themodernreligion.com/teens/skool.htmlslim or public school currently rages.

 

 

Why Send Your Child to a Muslim School?

A society is evaluated by the institution it develops and maintains. Institutions play an important role in the lives of individuals and societies. A Muslim school, is such an institution which is established to mold a child into an Islamic personality and provide the educational needs of our children. Importance of Muslim Full-Time SchoolsProvides Muslim children with an environment in which they can learn and live Islam. The homogeneity of their culture and values creates social and emotional stability which facilitates and accelerates their learning in general areas of education (math, science, language arts, etc.). They develop a strong sense of belonging to the Muslim Ummah. They not only preserve rich Islamic heritage, but contribute towards development and progress of the Muslim Ummah in general. Research Supports Private SchoolsResearch shows that children, specially the younger ones, perform better when they are in a familiar social settings. Muslim school certainly gives Muslim children an atmosphere in which they can grow and excel. Second, the human mind and personality is remarkably capable of adjusting to change. This explains the success of various immigrant communities across America. The members of these communities were born and raised in totally different culture and environment. Besides, Muslim children who attend Muslim schools are never totally out of touch with American society. Their exposure to the largest American culture is still considerable. Television, news media, neighborhoods, and non-Muslim staff in their own institutions keep the windows to the larger world wide open. Research indicates that students who attend private/parochial schools performed better in their lives than their public school counterparts. Quality of Muslim SchoolsThe quality of education depends on individual institution and its commitment for excellence. People who establish a Muslim school must ensure that (a) their academic program is better or at least equivalent to good public schools in their neighborhood; and (b) their staff is professionally trained and well qualified. If these two conditions are met, we are sure that the schools' performance can be no less than any good school. Salient Feature of a Muslim school Basics of Islam are taught and practices in the school Almost all the teachers are Muslim and thus would maintain an Islamic atmosphere in the classroom. Students are expected to wear Islamic attire and maintain a proper Islamic manner which gets reflected in the rest of their lives. There is less peer pressure to indulge in any unIslamic behavior. Topics covered in the classes has Islamic touches to them, thus enabling the students to relate the world from an Islamic point of view. There is no problems of drugs, guns, sexual promiscuity, improper sexual education etc. Muslim schools usually have small class and a good student/teacher relationship. Islam demands us to teach ourselves and our children. If fulfilling this obligation involves doing something unIslamic, than we should avoid that route. Therefore it is advisable that parents should try their best to educate their children in an Islamic environment in a Muslim school and try to avoid their children fall prey to the negative influence in the public schools. The rewards of sending children to Muslim schools outweigh any expense and sacrifices which parents may incur.

 

WHY ISLAMIC SCHOOLS?
SOME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q: What is the rationale of a full-time Islamic school?

A. Institutions play an important role in the lives of individuals and societies. An Islamic school is important because it:
1. Provides Muslim children with an environment in which they can learn and live Islam.
2. The homogeneity of their culture and values creates social and emotional stability which facilitates and accelerates their learning in general areas of education (math, science, language arts, etc.).
3. They develop a strong sense of belonging to the Muslim Ummah. They not only preserve rich Islamic heritage, but contribute towards development and progress of the Muslim Ummah in general.

Q: If you isolate children from the larger American society would they not be growing in a shell and become unable to interact with the American public in their practical lives?

A: Not at all. First of all, research shows that children, specially younger ones, perform better when they are in familiar social settings. Islamic school certainly gives Muslim children an atmosphere in which they can grow and excel.
Second, the human mind and personality is remarkably capable of adjusting to change. This explains the success of various immigrant communities across America. The members of these communities were born and raised in a totally different culture and environment.
Besides, Muslim children who attend Islamic schools are never totally out of touch with American society. Their exposure to the larger American culture is still considerable. Television, news media, neighborhoods, and non-Muslim staff in their own institutions keep the windows to the larger world wide open.
Research indicates that students who attend private/parochial schools performed better in their lives than their public school counterparts.

Q: Wouldn't our children suffer educational loss by attending Islamic school?

A: Educational loss or gain has nothing to do with a school being Islamic, Jewish, Catholic or public.
We all know that many public schools, despite their enormous resources and huge bureaucratic set-ups, miserably failed to deliver solid education, strong discipline, or good citizenship.
The quality of education depends on an individual institution and its commitment to excellence.
People who establish an Islamic school must ensure that:
Their academic program is better or at least equivalent to good public schools in their neighborhood and
Their staff is professionally trained and well qualified.
If these two conditions are met, I am sure that the Islamic school's performance can be no less than that of any good school because all of the other elements of a good school are automatically present in an Islamic setting.

A Gallop Poll defined a good school in the following terms:
1. Teachers are interested in their work and in their students.
2. Teachers make classes interesting.
3. There is variety in the curriculum.
4. There is good discipline.
5. There is respect for authority.
6. There is a good student/teacher relationship.
7. There is a good student-to-student relationship.
8. There is good equipment.
9. There are small classes.
10. There is good administration.
We can see that with the exception of number eight (good equipment) which can vary from school to school, all of the elements of a good school are fully present in an Islamic school.

Q. We pay very high taxes which support public education, how can we afford to pay tuition and support Islamic schools.

A: Where there is a will there is a way. Practical difficulties can be overcome if people are fully convinced and committed to the cause. A person who is determined to raise his children Islamically and wants to see them succeed in life will not hesitate to make some sacrifice to achieve this goal.
Islamic schools in general have very low tuition compared to other private schools in the United States. Parents can budget this expense as they budget their rent, car leases, utility bill, and other expenses.
The rewards of sending children to Islamic schools outweigh any expense which parents may incur.
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