Saara, a senior at an lslamic school who has attended that school all of her life, plans to go to college next year. Soufian attended an Islamic school from Kindergarten through 5th Grade. This past September he transferred to a public school as a freshman. Sarah, a sophomore at a public high school, has never attended an Islamic school, as there were none available.
However, her younger siblings have attended an Islamic school, and Sarah has had a great deal of connection with that school. . . .
Q: What do you think are/would be the advantages of attending an lslamic school?
Saara: In an Islamic school I get to be in an environment where I do not need to worry about being with kids that may act in a non-Islamic manner. All the kids will have values that will make the environment more appropriate. Also, I get to learn morc about Islam and be around Muslims to practice what I have learned.
For example, if I were in a public school but learning how to pray on my own, I would not have the same encouragement and feeling of unity that I have in a school where I can pray with all the other students.
Soufian: In an Islamic school, I get to learn about Islamic history and the religion. I can see the difference between what non-Muslims say and think about things and how Muslims also think about those things.
I get to be with people who are the same religion as I am I feel less embarwassed about talking about my religion and practicing my religion. I get to celebrate my holidays better
Sarra: I think the advantages of attending an Islamic school would be that I would get to work on religion and learn about it in school. The responsibility would not be on my parents. Some parents want their kids to learn about Islam but they might not have the time or the means. Also, the kids can be around other Muslims, so their faith is strengthened and peer ressure is lowered. . . .
Q: What do you think are/would be the advantages attending a non-Islamic school?
Saara: At a non-Islamic school I may be able to experience what real life is, which is coed. For example, a girl who has been in an Islamic school all her life will go out into the real world and be completely shocked, unprepared to deal with a coed workforce, especially working with male colleagues if she has to.
She will not be prepared to conduct herself in the manner she must. She may separate herself from society, or have a hard time coping. But I do not see that many advantages to going to a non-Islamic school.
Soufian: I found that in the public schools there is more emphasis on the subjects that are important for college like math, science, English, and other core subjects.
You get to meet more people and learn about them and their religions and heliefs. You learn better social skills, talking to both girls and boys, and learn better how to behave in different situations.
You don't feel so shy and embarrassed all the time. You may ham extra activities such as sports.
Safah: In a non-Islamic school the kids would not be "cocooned." They would know that not everyone wears Hijab or prays 5 times a day. They would learn to live with this difference at a young agc instead of not living with it and postponing it till college. They would learn to deal with the peer pressure that is inevitable.
For example, if you keep teens in an environment such as an Islamic school where they will not be pressured to use drugs, then they will not know how to respond to the peer pressure in college. Just because they are not pressured in high school does not mean thev will not be pressured in college. Peer pressure should be dealt with in high school, where the teacher-student relationship is closer than in college.
In addition to not being "cocooned" in a nonIslamic school, kids also will be exposed to people of other religions at a young age. It might be easier for children to be accepting of diversity if their friends are different. and they are able to put names and faces to other religions. . . .
Soufian, who has attended both Islamic and public schools, describes the two experiences - what he feared, what occurred, and how he adjusted. When I knew I was going to go to a public school, I was afraid there would be gangs and drugs but no learning environment.
However, none of the things I feared in the public school have come to be, at least not yet. I have found that the most difficult adjustment I have had to make when transferring from an Islamic school to a public school is that the public school is stricter about homework, and the classes are scheduled in blocks with longer times.
I am also still getting used to the kids and being in co-ed classes. At the Islamic school, I feared that I would get mean teachcrs or that the teachers would not be fair. I was also worried about having to deal with really obnoxious kids.
All of the feats I had, unfortunately, came true. I had to learn to adjust to kids who were very spoiled because their parents were important or rich heople.
Saara and Sarah, who have attended one type of school, talk about what they think might worry if forced by circumstances to attend the "other" school. I would be afraid of the kind of kids that I would be with in the school. Maybe the values and characrer will not match those of other students. I would be afraid that I would be singled out hecause I am different. I would also be afraid to be put in positions that I have never faced before or known, like drugs or alcohol.
Even though I know that I will not accept any offers of that sort, I would still be afraid of even confronting them.
Sarah (has attend only public school): If I had to attend an Islamic school, I would be afraid that I would he going to school with people who do not have open minds about other religions. I have friends of many different religions in my current high school, and this has helped to expand my knowledge of other religions.
I would be afraid that the students would be too different from me. I think that I would not find as rich diversity in thinking in an Islamic school as I do in my public school. I also would not want to wear Hijab, which would probably be part of the dress code in an Islamic school.
Q: If you could change anything about the schools, what advice coutd you give to the principal of both the Islamic and public schools and why?
Saara: In terms of public schools, I do not know what I could change about those schools. Maybe they could enforce stricter rules and regulations regarding the demeanor of the students and the way they dress. There really isn't much that I could think of for the time being that I would want to change in a public school.
In an Islamic school I might want to add more school activities for the girls. I think that they should allow women the same opportunity to interact with other students as they do for the men.
Soufian: I would advise Islamic schools to hire more skilled teachers, be stricter about things, don't discriminate against people, put more emphasis on subjects needed for college, give more choices, serve Halal food, not the normal public school food, and keep the bathrooms and common areas cleaner As for public schools.
I would advise them to do a better job of preventing boys and girls from doing things such as showing affection in the halls, keep the school cleaner especially bathrooms, and improve the bus service.
Serah: I would tell the principals of the non Islamic schools to teach more about Islam, because I think non-Muslims do not know enough about Islam. I do not know what to change about the Islamic schools except maybe a looser dress code.