Concerns over incidents of religiously motivated bullying targeting non-Muslim students and teachers in German schools are prompting calls for comprehensive Islamic religious education to be implemented across the nation’s educational system.
The Education and Training Association (VBE) is advocating for a system where all students, regardless of their faith, have the opportunity to discuss their beliefs and receive relevant information about their religion and others. Gerhard Brand, federal chairman of the VBE, emphasized the need for political action to allocate necessary personnel and resources to facilitate these offerings and accelerate their implementation. The goal, he stated, is to establish a nationwide program within a medium-term timeframe.
Current pilot programs for Islamic religious education should be continuously evaluated, optimized and expanded, Brand added. This progression aims to solidify the program’s place in the curriculum, with the long-term aspiration of a standardized and widespread offering.
Several German states, including Bavaria, Hesse, Saarland and Lower Saxony, already provide Islamic religious instruction. Stefan Düll, president of the German Teachers’ Association, also supports preventative measures through education. Düll argues that religious instruction, delivered by qualified and state-certified educators, can offer a counterbalance to fundamentalist ideologies potentially transmitted within families or through online platforms.
Furthermore, recognizing the specific needs of children and adolescents whose households may have limited German language proficiency, the call extends to early language acquisition alongside the introduction of fundamental societal values enshrined in the German constitution. These values include gender equality and the right to individual self-determination, beginning ideally during early childhood education.
